Music
Bob Seger
born 1945 · singer, songwriter, musician
Heartland rocker born at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital who was a regional star for years before Live Bullet, recorded at Cobo Arena, made him a national name.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 81- Birth name
- Robert Clark Seger
- Detroit years
- 1945–1950; career 1961–2019
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Seger was born at Henry Ford Hospital and moved with his family to Ann Arbor at five. He broke into the Detroit scene in 1961 with the Decibels, and through the 1960s his bands, the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System, scored local radio hits; in 1968 he turned down Motown for Capitol Records. For years he was a Michigan phenomenon who played high schools, teen clubs and ballrooms across the region. In 1973 he assembled the Silver Bullet Band from Detroit-area musicians, and in September 1975 they recorded Live Bullet over two nights at Cobo Arena. The album sold heavily in Detroit and finally broke him nationally; in 1976 he drew nearly 80,000 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome. "Heartache Tonight," co-written with fellow Detroiter Glenn Frey, and "Like a Rock," used in Chevrolet ads, kept the city in his story. He ended his touring life in 2019 with six farewell shows at DTE Energy Music Theatre, on a road named Bob Seger Drive.
Highlights
- Live Bullet (1976) was recorded at Detroit's Cobo Arena in September 1975
- "Shakedown" (1987) topped the Billboard Hot 100
- "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century (2001)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004); Michigan Rock and Roll Legends (2005)
- More than 75 million records sold worldwide
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 4
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.
Born here · 1945
Henry Ford Hospital
The New Center hospital where he was born in 1945.
Recorded here · 1975
Cobo Arena
Closed · 1960–2009
Riverfront arena where Live Bullet was recorded in September 1975; it hosted its last concert in 2009 and the space was rebuilt as the Grand Riverview Ballroom of today's Huntington Place.
Performed here · 1976
Pontiac Silverdome
Demolished
Domed stadium where he played to nearly 80,000 fans in 1976; demolished in 2017–2018.
Performed here · 1970s–2019
Pine Knob Music Theatre
Outdoor amphitheater where he played dozens of sold-out shows, including six farewell concerts in June 2019; its access road is named Bob Seger Drive.