Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born
May 6,
1945) is an
American rock musician who achieved his greatest success in the
1970s and
1980s.
Bob Seger was born at the
Henry Ford Hospital in
Detroit. He was raised in the Detroit suburb of
Dearborn until age 6, when his family moved to the college town of
Ann Arbor, Michigan. When Seger was 10 years old, his father left the family and moved to
California. Seger attended
Tappan Junior High School and
Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, graduating from the latter in 1963.
Seger started his musical career in the
1960s in his native
Ann Arbor,
Michigan, soon after playing in and around
Detroit as a singer and as the leader of
Bob Seger and the Last Heard, and then later the
Bob Seger System. He is best known for his work with the
Silver Bullet Band, a group he formed in 1974. Seger is known as a workhorse midwestern roots-rocker who dealt with blue-collar themes and toured constantly in support of his frequent album releases. As such, critics ignorant of when his career got started have dismissed him as a poor man's
Bruce Springsteen, though Seger's career as a professional musician predates Springsteen's by five years. Seger's successes paved the way for other
heartland rockers including
John Mellencamp and the
Michael Stanley Band.
Seger's early work is hard-rocking and shows the influence of fellow Michiganders
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels as well as pioneer rock-and-rollers such as
Chuck Berry. Notable songs during this time were
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, "Get Out of Denver", and his classic take on life on the road, "
Turn the Page". The Bob Seger System incarnation was essentially a Michigan
proto-punk band not very unlike the
SRC or
The Frost. The Bob Seger System's song "2+2=?" is considered by some to be one of the most fiery anti-war songs ever written.
Seger achieved a commercial breakthrough with his 1976 album
Night Moves which featured several hits including the highly evocative title song. Subsequently Seger had success with rockers such as "Hollywood Nights" and mellower mid-tempo ballads such as "We've Got Tonight", "Fire Lake" (recorded 1979, and featured
Don Henley,
Timothy B. Schmit, and
Glen Frey on backing vocals) and "Against the Wind". His most recognizable songs are almost certainly "
Old Time Rock & Roll" (featured in the film
Risky Business) and "
Like a Rock" (most familiar to many younger Americans through its association with a long-running
Chevrolet ad campaign). Seger also co-wrote the
Eagles #1 hit song "Heartache Tonight" from their 1979 album
The Long Run.
In June 1997 Seger drove his automobile off the
Trans-Canada Highway in
Nipigon, Ontario. [
1]
Seger was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on
March 15,
2004.
Also during 2004, Seger was working on his first new album in 10 years, titled
Face the Promise. Seger was recording at the same studio as
3 Doors Down when 3DD's manager asked if he would sing on their album. Seger and 3DD lead singer,
Brad Arnold, both sing on "Landing In London" on the album
Seventeen Days.
Promise will be in stores
September 12,
2006. The first single, "Wait For Me", lands on radio in July.
The Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll stated that "His throaty, authoritative delivery is a pleasure to listen to, and the Silver Bullet Band is superb."
East Side Story (1966) Single
Heavy Music (1967) Single - Started his National Debut
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (1969)
Noah (1969)
Mongrel (1970)
Brand New Morning (1971)
Smokin' O.P.'s (1972)
Back in '72 (1973)
Seven (1974)
Beautiful Loser (1975)
Live Bullet (1976)
Night Moves (1976)
Stranger in Town (1978)
Against the Wind (1980)
Nine Tonight (1981)
The Distance (1982)
Like a Rock (1986)
The Fire Inside (1991)
Greatest Hits (1994)
It's a Mystery (1995)
Greatest Hits 2 (2003)
Face the Promise (2006)
One source of disappointment to Seger fans is the continued absence of all albums (with the exception of
Smokin' O.P.'s) released prior to
Beautiful Loser from
Capitol Records' in-print catalog
as of 2006. These albums, some of which were last released on
compact disc in the
1980s and others never, currently sell for upwards of $50 per disc at most on-line merchants.
*
List of best selling music artists*
Notable Ann Arborites*
Official website*
SegerBob.com website*
Extensive fan website*
Bob Seger Net Moves Fan Community*
Bob Seger Lyrics
