Kid Rock’s 28-year-old son, Robert James Ritchie Jr., couldn’t be a more different figure than his rockstar father. He became a family man at a young age (21), rather than becoming a party animal like Kid Rock. He was at home studying when his dad was out drinking late, getting into trouble, and having fun with his many love interests. Even so, he was mainly raised by his party-animal father, because Kid Rock could provide better means of support than his mother.
Despite everything he had going against him, Robert James became a well-rounded, even-keeled individual. He refuses to ride his father’s coattails to fame, even though music is perhaps the only thing they have in common. Like his father, Robert James showed that he wanted to get into music early, and he’s just started pursuing his career. But, he has a full-time job to fall back on if that doesn’t pan out.
Updated on October 2, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Famed musician Kid Rock welcomed his son, Robert James Jr. back in June of 1993. While Kid Rock has certainly made a name for himself in the spotlight, mainly due to his party animal status, his son couldn't be more different. Not only is Robert James a university graduate, but he's far more a homebody than his father is. While they differ in personality, the duo have quite a liking for music, as Robert James Jr. is an aspiring musician. When he isn't creating music, James Jr. works at the Apple Store as a means to support his wife, Marisa Trovato, and their daughter, Skye. The duo first met back in high school and have been together ever since, proving that high school sweethearts are not a thing of the past.
15 He Became A Dad In His Early 20s
Robert James Ritchie Jr. is Kid Rock’s only son, and when Bobby and his girlfriend welcomed a daughter, Skye, into the household in 2014, he was in his early 20s. That made Kid Rock a grandpa at the ripe young age of 43. Us Weekly first brought the news to the world that Robert James’ girlfriend was pregnant with their daughter.
14 Kid Rock Won The Custody Battle Over Him
When Robert James was still a youngster, Kid Rock and his baby mama, Kelley South Russell, got involved in a vicious custody battle over the boy. Robert James was born in 1993, and the custody battle took place in 2000 when he was just seven years old. The fight must have been bad, but Kid Rock proved he’d be the more responsible adult, and won full custody of Robert James, with Russell getting ordered to pay $25 per week in child support.
13 Robert James Is An Aspiring Singer
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as the saying goes. Like his famous rockstar father, Robert James has taken to singing and music. His career has just started, with influences ranging from Bruno Mars to Jackie Wilson, and he’s apparently a very good singer. In 2018, he released his new single, “Exstacy,” and has been following his father’s footsteps much before then. Alternatively, Kid Rock’s career spans more than 30 years.
12 He’s A College Graduate
Kid Rock is very proud of his son, but not just because of his musical pursuits in the family tradition—also because Robert James graduated from college (Belmont University in Nashville). Now that is something that Kid Rock can’t claim! As Kid Rock told Rolling Stone when discussing becoming a grandfather, “Listen, my son graduated from college and he has a job.” He went on to say that it was a relief that his son graduated from college because he could only imagine the stress he put on his own parents.
11 Doesn’t Let His Celebrity Parent Define Him
Robert James knows who his father is, and knows how famous he is, but he refuses to live in his shadow or even follow in his footsteps. By that, we mean that he doesn’t use his name to measure his success—he is his “own person” (as he said on social media), and having a child to give him balance was something he “was seriously in need of.” It would be a tough thing to follow in Kid Rock’s footsteps, but Robert James is doing it with aplomb.
10 He Didn't Have A Great Fatherly Role Model
It’s no surprise that Kid Rock wasn’t the greatest fatherly role model. With all the shenanigans, legal battles, breakups with famous women (see: Pamela Anderson), and such, Robert James was exposed to a lot at a very young age. As Kid Rock told The Guardian, “I could have set a better example for my son.” But, even though that may be the case, Robert James seems to have turned out just fine.
9 He Is A Marvel Fan
Like many people in the world, Robert James is a fan of all things Marvel. Giving that small glimpse into his life shows that he’s not trying to be a rockstar like his dad—it would be nice, but he’s really just a regular guy, a family man. Most people would approve of his Marvel fandom, except maybe DC fans, but that’s neither here nor there.
8 He Isn’t A Party Animal Like His Dad
Kid Rock was known as one of the biggest party animals of his generation, which is why he’s so loved and hated by many. He made plenty of mistakes in his day. But, as Kid Rock told The Guardian, “the partying gene skips a generation,” and that seems to be the case for Robert James. Not to mention Robert James’ daughter, Skye, who definitely evened him out, making him more of a homebody than a party animal.
7 He's A Big Football Fan
It should come as no surprise that Robert James is a big Detroit Lions fan or football fan in general since his father is so vocal about his Detroit roots. Robert James often posts pictures on his Facebook or Instagram of him and Skye in full Detroit Lions regalia, so that there’s no question who the two of them are rooting for on any given Sunday.
6 He Doesn’t Drink Coffee (But Does Drink Tea)
This doesn’t really say anything about the man, other than it’s an interesting tidbit: Robert James doesn’t drink coffee, according to his social media. Instead, he drinks “usually tea w/honey or hot chocolate.” At least he’s not drinking booze as an alternative! Most people, who need coffee to function, might be envious of this little fact, but he seems to be able to function without high doses of caffeine.
5 He Was The Reason For His Dad Divorcing Pamela Anderson
Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson had a whirlwind romance that was the headline of every tabloid for years. Back in 2006, when Kid Rock and Anderson tied the knot, it was one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the century.
Their relationship didn’t last long, and according to Us Weekly, that was because Pamela Anderson “reportedly criticized Kid Rock’s mother and sister in front of Bobby Ritchie Jr.,” and that’s why he filed for divorce after just five months. Others, such as Sacha Baron Cohen, say that “Borat” caused the divorce.
4 His First Single Was Released In 2018
Robert James’ music career is just getting off to a start, as in 2008 he released the R&B-flavored single, “Exstacy,” off his debut album. The video of the song features James serenading a girl and then the two of them sharing a shower together at the end. Kid Rock was very proud of his son for the release, and wrote on Twitter, “He sure can sing and I'm very proud of him!” James had released other songs in the past, such as “Bad,” a hip-hop jam in January of 2018, and “All Alone,” an R&B ballad, in 2017.
3 He Works At A "Normal" Job
Despite trying to make it in the music business, Robert James has to make ends meet to provide for his family, and he does that by working at a very normal job: at an Apple store. As he’s stated before, “I had my daughter at 21 years old not knowing what I was gonna do. But I put in the work and I refused to ride coattails.” That about sums up Robert James’ life: hardworking, refusing to ride other people’s coattails, and supportive of his family.
2 His Mother Stabbed His Father
We thought that Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock’s divorce was bad, but this one takes the cake. Rock told Howard Stern that he divorced Anderson because she was negatively affecting his son, but he didn’t mention that Robert James Ritchie Jr.’s mother had a substance abuse problem and a violent temper, and back in 1995, she actually stabbed the singer in the leg with a knife during a fight. This comes courtesy of an ABC News report.
1 Robert Married His High School Sweetheart
Robert has been with his partner, Marisa Trovato for over 13 years now! The duo first met back in high school and have been at each other's side ever since. Bobby, Marisa, and Skye are quite the happy family, as the couple shares their heartfelt moments on Instagram, making it clear that Robert James Jr. has done well in both his professional and personal life.