Kid Rock pays tribute to Charlie Kirk as he wraps up TPUSA’s ‘All-American Halftime Show’
🚨 AMAZING: Kid Rock just wrapped up the All American Halftime Show with a beautiful tribute to Charlie Kirk
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 9, 2026
“If you're gonna love somebody, Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can… Until you can't” ❤️🇺🇸
MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS just watched this live. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/kRqf6KLXfu
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Kid Rock honored Charlie Kirk during “The All American Halftime Show,” a counterprogrammed event run by Turning Point USA, as Bad Bunny took the stage for the official Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday, February 8.
Turning Point USA had announced plans for the rival event in October, shortly after Bad Bunny was named the Super Bowl halftime performer.
Kid Rock honors Charlie Kirk at rival halftime show
Kid Rock closed out the “All American Halftime Show” with his song 'If You’re Gonna Love Somebody,' paying tribute to Charlie Kirk. The finale followed performances by Lee Brice, Gabby Barrett, and Brantley Gilbert.
As Rock sang, "If you're gonna love somebody, Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can… Until you can't, Until you can't Until you can't…", photos of Kirk, his wife Erika, and their children appeared on the video boards surrounding the stage.
“In remembrance of Charlie Kirk,” the images read, accompanied by a broadcast of one of the conservative activist’s speeches. Kirk was killed in September during a speech on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Lee Brice honors Charlie Kirk at TPUSA halftime counter-show
Lee Brice honored Charlie Kirk before his performance as Turning Point USA staged patriotic performances as a counter-show to the Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.
“This is real American,” Brantley Gilbert said as he opened the show wearing a God, Family, Country T-shirt. Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett performed for nearly half an hour, delivering star-spangled country music with strong patriotic and religious themes.
Ladies and gentlemen, @leebrice 🎶 pic.twitter.com/OYwNKKPpU8
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) February 9, 2026
The show began just after 8 pm ET with a Jimi Hendrix–style electric guitar version of the 'Star-Spangled Banner'.
Gilbert then took the stage in his God, Family, Country T-shirt and declared, “This is real America,” before performing his song Real American.
Lee Brice honored the late Charlie Kirk, saying, “He gave people microphones so they could say what’s on their mind, this is what’s on mine,” before performing Country Nowadays, which includes lyrics like “little boys ain’t little girls” and reflects the struggle of holding “small-town views” today.
