Bob Seger Saxophonist Alto Reed Dies At 72

RIP

Alto Reed, a longtime Bob Seger saxophonist for his Silver Bullet Band, has passed away at the age of 72 from colon cancer. Reed was his sax player for almost fifty years. This heartbreaking news was confirmed by Seger himself who paid tribute to his bandmate on social media. Seger wrote, “He was amazing – he could play just about anything…he was funky, could scat and play tenor sax and alto sax at the same time.” He also added, “Over the years, his passion for music, life and new adventures never diminished. We loved him like a brother and will miss him forever.”

Born Thomas Neal Cartmell on May 16, 1948, some of Reed’s notable works include the intro to “Turn the Page” and the solo in “Old Time Rock and Roll”. Aside from Seger, he also played alongside Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, Otis Rush, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, George Thorogood, and The Ventures.

Reed is survived by his four children, Chelsea Reed Radler, Jon Radler, Victoria Reed and Erik Deutsch; his partner, Christiana Van Ryn; her daughter, Sophia Van Ryn; and sister Nancy Neumann. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Detroit Harmony Fund.