Adam Graham

40 Kid Rock highlights for milestone birthday

We lay out the most memorable moments of hard-partying, hard-working rocker

Happy 40th birthday, Kid Rock.

Rock doesn't officially hit the big 4-0 until Monday, but he's throwing a massive party for himself Saturday night at Ford Field. It's the homegrown superstar's biggest headlining concert to date, and the Romeo native will toast his 20-year career with a huge celebration that will feature a host of special guests and some 55,000 screaming fans.

It's been a long journey for Rock, who was born Robert James Ritchie in 1971. From DJing basement parties in Mount Clemens in the late 1980s to headlining back-to-back nights at Comerica Park in 2009, Rock has always kept Michigan close to his chest, and he's become one of our most famous exports to the world.

Before the big show, we're celebrating the career of Kid Rock and counting down, fittingly enough, 40 of Rock's most memorable achievements. The list paints a picture of a man who parties hard and works even harder, and one whom we're proud to call the Son of Detroit.

Here's looking at you, Kid.

40. Records "2getha 4eva" with Trick Trick, ESham and Proof. The 2008 collaboration, from Trick Trick's "The Villain" LP, is a clash of Detroit titans.

39. Hits the links with John Daly. At the 2008 Buick Open, an overall-clad Rock proved a better drinker than golfer, but delighted fans by crushing a few Budweisers on the fairway.

38. Hires Punch Andrews. An homage to his hero Bob Seger, Rock hired the living legend's manager to oversee his career in 2000. Punch and Rock amicably parted ways in 2007.

37. Heads out on the high seas. In 2010, Kid Rock's inaugural Chillin' the Most Cruise — essentially, a bar at sea — set sail. For everyone who went but doesn't remember a thing, a sequel is scheduled for this spring.

36. Fires up a friendship with Zac Brown. Rock joins the heavily bearded country star on stage several times, including at the 2009 Downtown Hoedown, and records a laid-back duet with him on 2010's "Born Free."

35. Throws down with the Insane Clowns. Rock teams up with ICP on "Is That You," a bawdy track from the Clowns' 1992 debut album "Carnival of Carnage." He leaves the face paint at home, though.

34. "Rolls On" at Motown studio. The ghosts of Detroit past were present when Rock filmed at Motown's famed Studio A, one of the settings for his 2008 video "Roll On."

33. Signs to Jive Records. A hightop-sporting Rock signs to the urban label at the age of 17, and releases his debut album "Grits, Sandwiches for Breakfast" in 1990. A year later, he is dropped from the label.

32. Parties with "Joe Dirt." In David Spade's 2001 white trash comedy, Rock plays Robby, a local bully with a crush on Joe Dirt's (Spade's) love interest. Ever the snob, Oscar passes him over.

31. Develops a "Polyfuze Method." Released in 1993, Rock's second album finds him incorporating a rough-hewn rock edge into his hip-hop sound.

30. Introduces the world to Slim Shady. On "Devil Without a Cause," Rock teams with a then-unknown Eminem on the track "F*** Off." The song remains a cult favorite.

29. Becomes an "Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp." This 1996 album is Rock's final independent effort before inking with Atlantic Records. It finds him further honing his rock/rap hybrid sound.

28. Partners with the Silver Bullet. In 2003, Rock becomes a spokesman for Coors Light, lending his song "Somebody's Gotta Feel This" to a series of popular ads.

27. Records "Live Trucker." With Bob Seger's "Live Bullet" as his blueprint, Rock releases his live album in 2006.

26. Buys Made in Detroit. Rock purchases the local T-shirt company in 2005, and its logo becomes synonymous with Rock's blue-collar ethos.

25. Rumbles with Tommy Lee. Rock and the Mötley Crüe drummer — both exes of actress Pamela Anderson — scuffle in the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007 while Alicia Keys performs on stage. Both are escorted from the venue.

24. Throws a revue with his pals. For his 2008 Rock N Roll Revival Tour, Rock lines up special guests Peter Wolf and Rev Run and hits the road for a series of epic-length, revival-type shows.

23. Reinvents "Sad But True." The heavy guitar riffs on Metallica's 1991 rocker are flipped into Rock's celebratory, self-aggrandizing 2000 single "American Bad Ass."

22. Crosses over to country. Rock's outlaw sensibility makes him a natural fit for country audiences. Around 2002, he becomes a staple on country radio, and even hosts the 2010 CMT Awards.

21. Forms a misfit band of truckers. He may be a solo act, but Rock doesn't travel far without his backing band Twisted Brown Trucker, which he formed prior to the release of "Devil Without a Cause."

20. Throws an outdoor party, invites everyone. For his "Forever" clip, Rock, in October 2001, invited fans to party with him on a chilly Saturday at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

19. Hops on a "Rock N Roll Pain Train." The opening song on Rock's self-titled 2003 album shows him incorporating elements of classic rock into his repertoire.

18. Ordains himself a "Rock N Roll Jesus." Released in 2007, Rock's seventh album is his first to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.

17. Brews his own beer. When Rock debuts his own Michigan-brewed Bad Ass Beer in 2009, the only surprise is that he didn't do it sooner.

16. Becomes a professional concert crasher. Hard to say exactly when it started, but somewhere along the line an appearance by Kid Rock became a possibility at almost every major concert held in Metro Detroit.

15. Gets "Cocky." The follow-up to Rock's breakthrough album, 2001's "Cocky" is just as brazen as its predecessor.

14. Fights iTunes. Along with AC/DC, Rock remains one of very few holdouts from the mega online music retailer. Even the Beatles gave in; Rock still hasn't.

13. Heads to Waffle House after a show. Smothered, covered and topped with a fight. Rock and members of his entourage scuffled with a fan at an Atlanta-area Waffle House in 2007; three years later, a judge orders him to cut a check for the incident.

12. Scores at Super Bowl XXXVIII. Prior to Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction," Kid Rock and company rocked "Cowboy" and "Bawitdaba" on one of entertainment's biggest stages.

11. Paints a "Picture" with Sheryl Crow. Peaking at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100, the tender, stripped-down ballad remains Rock's highest-charting single to-date.

10. Brings out Bob Seger. The two had shared a stage before, but none was bigger than when Rock brought out his hero during his concerts at Joe Louis Arena during Super Bowl XL weekend in Detroit in 2006.

9. Teams up with Rick Rubin. For his 2010 album "Born Free," Rock partnered with the legendary rock producer and released his most mature-sounding record to-date.

8. Walks This Way with Run-DMC and Aerosmith. Rock made his name bridging the worlds of rock and rap, so it only made sense he'd bring together the style's originators at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.

7. Steals the show at Woodstock '99. History rightfully remembers the concert as a disaster; but before the fires engulfed the festival, Rock put on one of the weekend's most well-received sets and cemented his status as one of rock's new kings.

6. Celebrates "All Summer Long." Mashing up "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London," Rock sings a winsome tune about Michigan summers that becomes the state's unofficial anthem in 2008.

5. Determines "Only God Knows Why." Amid the lewd party boasts of "Devil Without a Cause" was this prescient ballad that gave a glimpse at the artist underneath the wild rock and roll veneer. It sets up his transition from rap-rocker to serious artist.

4. Doubles down at Comerica Park. In 2009, Rock performed back-to-back sold-out concerts at the Detroit Tigers' home to some 80,000 fans, his largest home stand to-date.

3. Sets up shop in Clarkston. Kid Rock's northern Oakland County sanctuary — "north of Detroit, south of heaven," he calls it — becomes his base of operations, housing a full recording studio and enough land to play on that he never has to leave.

2. Marries Pamela Anderson. Three times. One wedding wasn't enough for the two lovebirds, who dated off and on for years before tying the knot in 2006. But after only four months of marriage, the two called it quits. One divorce was all it took.

1. Releases "Devil Without a Cause." As if willing himself to riches, Rock shouts "I'm goin' platinum!" all over his 1998 breakthrough album. And he did go platinum, 10 times over, becoming a worldwide superstar in the process.