(CelebrityAccess) — Alto Reed, a saxophonist best known for his long tenure with Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band, died at his home on December 30th. He was 72.
Reed’s passing was confirmed in a statement by his former bandmate Bob Seger:
“It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our lifelong friend and band mate, Alto Reed. Alto passed away this morning at his home with his family by his side after fighting a courageous battle with colon cancer.
Alto has been a part of our musical family, on and off stage, for nearly 50 years. I first started playing with Alto in 1971. 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.
We worked with Alto often and when we booked our first headline arena gigs at Cobo Hall, we asked him to be a part of those shows. No doubt his iconic performance on Turn The Page helped lift us to another level. He has been with us on that stage virtually every show, ever since. And whether it was Turn The Page, Mainstreet, or Old Time Rock And Roll, audiences roared every time he played his part. In our band, Alto was the rock star.
Off stage, Alto had a passion for discovering and experiencing new things. He taught me how to sail on Biscayne Bay, we swam with the sharks (unintentionally!), and he often introduced us to local foods and restaurants he had discovered. I called him Captain. He was bolder than I was. I remember visiting him in the Miami area and I found him feeding the manatees in a lagoon behind his house. Most of us feed the seagulls, Alto fed the manatees!
Alto started a family and was a fabulous father. He helped raise two talented, beautiful, intelligent young ladies. Over the years, his passion for music, life and new adventures never diminished. We loved him like a brother and will miss him forever.”
Reed performed some of the most notable sax solos in modern music history, including the introduction to Seger’s “Turn The Page” and the solo in Old Time Rock and Roll.”
In addition to his work with Seger, Reed, who was born Thomas Neal Cartmell, performed with a host of artists, including Otis Rush, Little Feat, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, The Ventures, George Thorogood, and Foghat, among others.
As well, Reed led his own band, The Blues Entourage, which performed at festivals such as the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.
