John Rich Reacts to Controversial Rolling Stone Cover, Wants You to Kick My Ass? [Oh, the Humility]

You’d think, of all people, country star turned celeb-reality D-lister John Rich might know the difference between fame and infamy. In this year’s You Are So Nashville If … issue of the Scene — out today — an entry ribbing Rich for his domestic, aesthetic assault on Love Circle took second place.

In fact, every summer we hold this crowd-sourced contest, and every summer we get a glut of entries lambasting the singer, using him as a perennial punch line. Unequivocally, Rich — who I’ve previously proclaimed The Kenny Powers of MOR Country — is the most hated man in Nashville. Or rather, the man most Nashvillians love to hate. It’s become a local pastime. And had this year’s YASNI runner-up taken the crown — which it almost did — an illustration of Rich’s mug, hateable handlebars and all, would’ve graced this week’s Scene cover.

Would Rich have felt glorified by the gesture?