Nashville will be hosting its annual Veterans Day Parade and singer-songwriter Kid Rock will be front and center to help honor the nation’s servicemen and women. This year, Rock, born as Robert Ritchie, has been named Co-Grand Marshal – in Music City, no less.
Originally a rap rocker, Rock, , switched gears to focus on country rock; across the board, he has consistently been pro-military, vocally supporting the troops in and outside of his work. Ritchie has drawn criticism in the past for his wearing of a slitted American flag as a poncho, but also supported the National Guard in its campaigning efforts.
Kid Rock is a co-marshal for the Nashville Veterans Day Parade
Saturday, November 11 marks Veterans Day and Tennessee will be holding its Nashville Veterans Day Parade starting at 11 a.m. The 101st Airborne Division Band will lead the procession down Broadway from 14th Avenue to 1st Avenue.
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Leading this parade will be retired Air Force Brigadier General Eden Murrie alongside Kid Rock in the position of co-marshal. Other participants include federal, state, and local officials, other veterans, first responders, National Guard personnel, Gold Star families, Antioch High School marching band and ROTC, and several others.
A history with the military
Kid Rock has a mixed history with the military and has more than once flirted with controversy in some way or another, be it – in the past – flying the Confederate flag at concerts or singing divisive lyrics at the inauguration of George W. Bush.
But in his song “Warrior,” Rock delivered a decisive message in favor of the troops. He recorded the song and made a music video for it in 2008 specifically for a a National Guard advertising campaign. The lyrics proudly proclaim, “And they call me warrior. They call me loyalty. And they call me ready to go, believe and help whenever you need me to be. I’m an American warrior.”
That year, and the year prior, Rock had toured with the United Service Organizations. He also manages The Kid Rock Foundation, which aims to raise funds for military-related causes and send “Kid Rock care packages” to U.S. personnel overseas.
The Nashville Veterans Day Parade invites the public to attend in celebration of the nation’s heroes.