Without apparently intending to do so, Uncle Kracker has made a habit out of breaking stereotypes. He served as deejay in Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker band, an unlikely place for a mellow, low-key family man. Kid Rock helped him break out into his own solo music career, out of which he charted a new course with a country and Motown-influenced pop-style debut album that earned double-platinum sales. Uncle Kracker was born Matthew Shafer in Mount Clemens, Michigan, on the outskirts of Detroit.