Bob Seger’s Tour Days Might Be Over After Death Of Bandmate

He Looked Back At His Last Phone Call with Alto Reed

In a recent interview on SiriusXM, Bob Seger expressed his doubts about being back on the road. He hinted on the possibility that he’ll retire from touring following the death of longtime bandmate, saxophonist Alto Reed. Reed passed away in December after a battle with colon cancer.

Seger recalled the last phone call he had with Reed.

“I listened really hard to him,” he said. “And he said ‘how grateful I am for my wonderful life’… I thought that was so beautiful, and I thought he was so brave. I don’t think I could go out [on tour] without him.”

As a member of the Silver Bullet Band, Reed appeared on seven studio albums and played alongside Seger between 1976 and 1995, and beyond. His most notable contributions include the intro on “Turn the Page” and the solo in “Old Time Rock and Roll”.

Seger penned a heartwarming tribute to his friend and bandmate in December.

“Alto has been a part of our musical family, on and off stage, for nearly 50 years,” 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.”

“I loved him like a brother. I may have been the leader, but he was our rock star,” Seger added. “He was the audience favorite, hands down. He was bold and worldly. I learned so much from the guy. And he was a great ambassador to the fans.”