August 15, 2008

Kid Rock To Perform 'All Summer Long' At MTV Video Music Awards

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

Guess who's coming back to the VMAs? Kid Rock. And this time, we hope, the only fists flying in the audience will be pumping in the air when he plays his titanic beach-weather anthem, "All Summer Long."

After making headlines at last year's awards for a fight with fellow Pamela Anderson ex Tommy Lee in the audience during Alicia Keys' performance, Rock joins a roster of live performers on the September 7 show that already includes the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne.

Nearly a year after his Rock N Roll Jesus album debuted at #1, Rock has been making headlines for the record's slow rise back into the Billboard top 10 thanks to the kick-back jam "Summer," which mashes up samples of the classic rock staples "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." The tune has charted on top 40, rock, country and adult contemporary radio, despite not being available on iTunes as a download, as Rock is one of the few remaining major holdouts on iTunes.

The 25th annual show, airing live from Los Angeles, will be hosted by British comedian/actor Russell Brand, who is making news himself this week for the surprise viral-video heat of his promo commercials for the show with one of last year's most notorious performers, Britney Spears. Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.