Kid Rock says he was provoked into Waffle House fight by ex-music promoter Harlen Akins

09/16/2010 by Corinne Heller

Kid Rock testified at a Georgia court on Thursday that he was provoked into fighting former music promoter Harlen Akins in front of an Atlanta-area Waffle House after the two exchanged tough words, as part of his defense in a civil lawsuit filed against him regarding the 2007 violent incident.

"I gave it to him verbally, I said, 'Shut your mouth, man,'" the Associated Press quoted Kid Rock, 39, as saying, adding that members of his entourage hit Akins, 41, out of self-defense during the confrontation but that he himself did not use violence.

"If we wanted to hurt this man, we could have hurt him very, very bad," he said.

The rock singer pleaded guilty in 2008 to a misdemeanor charge of simple battery. Akins is seeking some $6,000 in medical costs as well as an unspecified amount for pain and suffering. Akins has admitted smoking marijuana before the confrontation at the restaurant, where the rock singer and his crew had stopped after performing in the city in October 2007.

Akins said he was acquainted with a member of Kid Rock's entourage, Davina Barnes, and added she sent him derogatory text messages as they sat at adjoining tables at the Waffle House, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. After she allegedly refused to stop texting him, the confrontation escalated.

Akins says Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, cursed at him and members of his entourage punched and kicked him and smashed his cell phone. One of the windows in the Waffle House was busted out and everyone later ended up in the parking lot, Akins said, adding that he did not fight back.

"Wherever they could kick me and punch me, they did, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Akins as saying. "I felt like a shipwrecked body. I had pain, pain coming from everywhere."