Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In the mid sixties a force was growing in the Motor City. By the June of 1976 the force became something to be reckoned with. Three nights earlier that June, this incredible phenomenon had been playing in a bar to approximately 50 people in Chicago. Yet after just releasing a live album in April of the same year that saw tons of airplay and resounding critical acclaim, here he was playing to a sold out concert of 80,000 people in his home town.

The music was undeniably blue collar and solid "Like a Rock" That force of course........ was Detroit's very own Bob Seger.

Bob's rise to the top was characteristically like his music. It was saturated in hard, energetic work and uncompromised values. He worked harder and smarter to achieve success and because what he was selling was down home and real, people could relate to him.

Bob Seger lived the American dream and we as musicians and fans all benefited from his music in some way shape or form. He to me is the epitome of a traveling musician who earned his spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame through hard work, guts, sheer determination and as a result capping this effort all off by producing a product that harmonized with the soul of the American people.

Bob Seger. The name says it all.

Bob Seger And The Heard-Bob Seger System-Silver Bullet Band....

Bob Seger is one of that pantheon of massively successful US musicians who just don't have the same immense impact offshore. When he was hitting his straps in the US, the whole rock-and-roll establishment was starting to crumble elsewhere as punk took off. "Old Time Rock and Roll" was an appropriate description of his sound relative to what was emerging in the UK at the time. When I look back at the late '70s, it seems that the US and the rest of the world existed in parallel universes, musically speaking.

Ah Bob Seger,
Thanks for bringing back some memories of some great music.

Can't say I am the biggest Seger fan, but the song Hollywood Nights is an all time fave of mine. When I went to LA in 97 for some record company interviews, I was driving my rental car around town as the sun was going down. Just as the dj introduced this song, I looked up and saw the Hollywood lights. I literally got choked up.

Also, I always found it interesting that Thin Lizzy opened their Fighting album with a Bob Seger cover song, Rosalie.

Seger always did right by the musicians in his bands. Which was very honorable, he could have done fine on his own. When the original drummer for the Silver Bullet Band was paralized in a car accident [ pre- big success ] Bob continued to support him financially for the rest of his life.
Story on Rosalie. She was the program director for CKLW am/fm radio in Winsor, Ont. across the river from Detroit. Huge power, vast coverage area, not restricted by U.S. goverment FCC regulation. If she would play your record you were on your way! `She got the Tower, She got the Power, Rosalie`. She was insturmental in the success of Seger, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent as well as many Motown artists and others from the Detroit rock sene of the 1960's and 70's.
A footnote, the powerfull backing vocal on that track and others from that era was a beautifull young lady named Marcey Levy who went on to work with Leon Russell [Stop All That Jazz]and Eric Clapton [Wonderfull Tonight]durring his `laid back' period.

Hank,

Your story serves to deepen my respect for this incredible musician. Thanks for sharing it.