‘Catch of the Day’ – Kid Rock – “Johnny Cash” [AUDIO]

Today the spotlight falls on a rocker, a rapper and a country star. And its all the same artist. An artist who's 1998 album Devil Without a Cause has sold more than 13 million copies, and who brings a whole new meaning to the word "diversified".

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie, better know as Kid Rock, was born and raised on an six-acre apple orchard and horse ranch in Romeo, MI. At eleven, young Ritchie joined a breakdance crew, and at 15, tired of small town Romeo, he ran away to Detroit. He began performing at local clubs, adopting the stage name "Kid Rock". Soon, to stay out of trouble, he joined a local rap group, "The Beast Crew." He was discovered by Jive Records at age 17, signing to a demo deal against his parents wishes. The deal cause a rift between Kid Rock and the rest of the Beast Crew, and they left his vocals off of their debut album.

Despite a lack of a push from his label, Kid Rock's 1990 debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast sold more than 100,000 copies. Despite this, Jive Records dropped him from the label. He was then picked up by the independent label Continuum Records; Rock appeared on The Insane Clown Posse's 1992 album, Carnival of Carnage, bringing a unique rap-rock flavor to the track "Is That You?".

From 1993 to 2002, the period of time Rock refers to as his "rap/rock era", he released 3 albums on independent labels, and 3 more with Atlantic records and their label Lava Records. All three of the Atlantic releases have been certified platinum (or better), with 4 singles hitting the top-10 on the pop charts. One single, 2002's "Picture", a duet with Sheryl Crow hit #2 on the Country, Adult Contemporary and Pop Charts.

In 2003, Rock began exploring other formats he was influenced by as a kid. The 2007 album Rock and Roll Jesus featured more of a southern-rock sound. The album, certified platinum, feature the single "All Summer Long", which cracked the top-5 on the same three charts. In 2011, Rock released the album Born Free, which feature the top-20 single "Care" which featured Martina McBride and Angaleena Presley; the album also featured his second effort with Crow, who along with Bob Seger joined Rock for "Collide". In 2014, Rock joined forces with Tim McGraw for "Lincoln Continentals and Cadillacs" from McGraw's Sundown Heaven Town album.

In February, Rock's latest album, First Kiss was released. The sound of the project was definitely more of a country/southern rock hybrid sound. The first single from the album, the title track, was well received critically, but found difficulty finding radio airplay. The song climbed to only #62 on the Billboard Country chart, though it did peak at #16 on the rock chart and #27 on the Adult Contemporary chart; the second single from the album is in today's spotlight. Kid Rock, paying tribute to "The Man In Black" with "Johnny Cash" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.