Music
Alto Reed
1948–2020 · saxophonist
Detroit-born saxophonist of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, whose horn lines on “Turn the Page” and “Old Time Rock and Roll” are part of Detroit's soundtrack.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
aged 72- Birth name
- Thomas Neal Cartmell
- Detroit years
- 1948–2020
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Tom Cartmell was born in Detroit and graduated from Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores in 1966. After playing in the Lansing band Ormandy he joined Bob Seger in the early 1970s and became one of the Silver Bullet Band's most recognizable members as Alto Reed. His smoky tenor on the live “Turn the Page,” recorded at Detroit's Cobo Hall for Live Bullet in 1975, and his solo on “Old Time Rock and Roll” were heard around the world. Between Seger tours he led his own groups, including the Motor City AllStars, and he starred with Ortheia Barnes in a 1998 tourism ad for the Detroit convention bureau. He played the national anthem before an American League Championship Series game in Detroit in 2011 and before the Lions' 2012 Thanksgiving game. He died of colorectal cancer in 2020.
Highlights
- Saxophone on Live Bullet (1976), recorded at Cobo Hall
- Sax solo on “Old Time Rock and Roll” (1978)
- Member of the Silver Bullet Band for more than four decades
- Canadian Blues Hall of Fame (2012)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Recorded here · 1975
Cobo Arena
Closed · 1960–2010
Seger's September 1975 shows here became the album Live Bullet. The arena closed in 2010 and was rebuilt as a ballroom inside today's Huntington Place convention center.
Performed here · 2011
Comerica Park
He played the national anthem before Game 4 of the 2011 American League Championship Series.
Performed here · 2012
Ford Field
He played the anthem before the Lions' Thanksgiving Day game against Houston in 2012.