opinion
Country singer Kid Rock suffered a devastating loss last week when his beloved father, Bill Richie Sr., passed away at the age of 82. Kid Rock's dear friend Donald Trump then spoke up to send him a touching message of support.
Kid Rock's father dies
Kid Rock took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, last Friday to announce his father's death.
“My father, Bill Ritchie Sr., moved to be with Jesus yesterday,” he wrote. “He was an amazing father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so much more, and no one was ashamed of being completely in character!”
He added, before signing his real name, “Bob Ritchie,”: “God bless you and I love you, Bob!”
The Detroit Free Press reported that Ritchie died peacefully at his home in Florida after a 14-year battle with prostate cancer. He was a prominent auto dealer in metro Detroit and was known as a power player in the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA), previously serving as the organization's regional representative to the National Automobile Dealers Association.
“He was charming at the meeting. He was an inspirational speaker. His son inherited that,” said Rod Alberts, DADA’s current executive director. “I thought the world of him.”
RELATED: Kid Rock pays tribute to his friend Toby Keith after his death at age 62
Trump praises Ritchie
After Ritchie's death was announced, former President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to pay tribute.
“Bill Richie Sr., the wonderful father of Bob, sometimes referred to as Kid Rock, recently passed away after a long and courageous battle with a nasty competitor, cancer,” Trump wrote. “I got to know Bill well over the past three years, he was a very special and successful person, but family was much more important than that success.”
“He was an amazing father, grandfather and great-grandfather, but also a man of tremendous vision, talent, style and true character!” Trump continued. “My condolences to the entire family. Bill will be greatly missed.”
Kid Rock quickly responded to Trump by thanking him for his support.
“Thank you, Mr. President,” Kid Rock said in his own post on Truth Social. “He was a big supporter you know, loved what you stood for, and always looked forward to spending time with you.”
“Many will never get to know you the way I did on a personal/friendship level, but let this be a testament to what a great man, father, and friend you are! God bless and have mercy on you, Dad,” he added, concluding this timing with his stage name “Kid Rock.”
RELATED: Trump and Kid Rock bring up Covington's loss at UFC 296 – fighter compares it to 2020 election defeat
Kid Rock's friendship with Trump
Kid Rock has long been one of the only celebrities to publicly stand by Trump, and the two have developed a close personal friendship. Last December, Kid Rock called Trump “the most powerful son on earth.”
“He's doing an amazing job, it's unbelievable,” Kid Rock continued. “I love spending time with him and getting to know him. I think if you look at his track record and who he is as a whole, there's more good stuff there than anything else.”
We applaud Trump for reaching out to his friend Kid Rock as he mourns the devastating loss of his father. Please join us in saying a prayer for Kid Rock and his family during this difficult time.
It's time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Policy Insider ranks third on Feedspot's “Top 100 Political Blogs and Websites” list.
