Kid Rock: Confederate flag was dropped years before protest - Detroit Free Press
And that was the night, says a spokesman for the Detroit star, that Kid Rock quietly decided he would stop using the Confederate flag onstage. It was the first detailed response from the musician's camp since a group of Detroit civil rights protesters launched a campaign against Rock and tour sponsor Chevrolet on July 6. "It's been more than five years since he's had that flag on tour,"... Stern's assertion aligns with observations from Kid Rock concertgoers interviewed by the Free Press. Prior to the 2011 NAACP event — where flag protesters rallied outside — it had already been more than a year since Rock featured a Confederate flag in concert, Stern said. Kid Rock had introduced the flag into his shows during the early 2000s, and in a 2002 Free Press interview he defended its use, calling it a symbol of Southern rock and rebellion. Outside the NAACP ceremony, about 40 protesters blasted Rock and the NAACP while burning a Confederate flag. Inside, Rock told the crowd he "never flew the flag with hate in my heart," saying, "I love America, I love Detroit, and I love black people. While his publicist offered few details Wednesday about Rock's thinking the night of the NAACP event, the ceremony clearly was a turning point for the musician. Source: www.freep.com
