Rapper Rock sentenced for brawl

Rapper Kid Rock has been sentenced to a year on probation and fined $1,000 (£501) for his part in a fight in an Atlanta waffle restaurant in 2007.

The 37-year-old, whose real name is Robert J Ritchie, also received 80 hours community service and six hours of anger management counselling.

Ritchie pleaded no contest to one count of battery. Four other assault charges were dropped.

The incident took place last October at a branch of the Waffle House chain.

Ritchie and his entourage had been performing at a gig in Atlanta and before stopping off in their tour bus in the early hours of the morning.

The fight took place when an argument broke out with another customer at the restaurant.

The rapper and five of his crew were arrested at the time.

Number one

All five appeared with Ritchie in court but the charges against three of them were dropped.

Two others pleaded no contest and were also sentenced to community service and probation.

At the time of the fight, Ritchie had just scored his first number one album in the US charts with Rock N Roll Jesus.

The rapper was previously married to Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, but the actress filed for divorce after four months of marriage in 2006.

Ritchie is originally from Detroit and has sold more than 20 million albums.

He is currently number three in the UK singles chart with the Lynyrd Skynyrd-sampling All Summer Long. Rock N Roll Jesus is released in the UK next week.