Kid Rock is mourning the death of his father, William “Bill” Ritchie Sr., while celebrating the life of the Ritchie family patriarch, as fans of the musician learned on Friday (Feb. 16).
“My Dad, Bill Ritchie Sr, moved on to be with Jesus yesterday,” Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert “Bob” Ritchie, said in a Feb. 16 post.
He added, “He was an incredible father, grandfather, great grandfather, and so much more, none shy of being quite the character! Thank you for your condolences in advance. God Bless you and I love you Pop!”
Kid Rock’s Dad
Ritchie Sr. owned several auto dealerships surrounding the outer Detroit suburb of Romeo, Michigan, according to Cowboys & Indians. Romeo is where Kid Rock was born and raised by his father and his mother, Susan, along with his sister Jill and brother William Jr.
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“I had a very, very comfortable upbringing,” Kid Rock said of his family in a 2015 interview, “and I’m not ashamed at all to say I was raised in a very upper-middle-class family.”
Kid Rock and his dad attend an event in 2010.
Kid Rock and his dad in 2010. (Bill O’Leary, Getty Images)
The musician added specifically of his dad, “My father likes to joke that I’m the only rock star he knows of who doesn’t have to support his parents.”
Still, Kid Rock’s upbringing wasn’t all sunshine and roses. When he first started doing music as a teen, there was “not a lot of support there” from his family, he explained.
However, “I understand why,” the singer said. “I was very young, and I’m on the other side of town doing parties and shows with turntables and these things. And they were like, ‘You don’t even play an instrument. What are you doing?'”
Our condolences go out to all of the Ritchies’ family and friends.
Kid Rock, “Drinking Beer With Dad” (2015)
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