A fire broke out at rock ‘n roll legend Bob Seger’s lakefront home in Orchard Lake, Michigan at 6am on Halloween morning. Luckily, Seger and his wife emerged unscathed from the small fire. Fire inspector Dave Goff confirmed Seger and his wife, Juanita, were both home when the fire alarm sounded.
The 18,368 square-foot home sustained water damage to the family room and a downstairs room containing a golf simulator. Firefighters broke through some walls and ceilings in an effort to contain the fire however, most of the eight-bedroom and 10 bathroom estate was unscathed. The estimated value, according to Zillow, is $9.6 million, with annual property taxes of $120,000.
“Now the task ahead of us is trying to determine, if we can, what caused the fire,” said fire marshal Byron Turnquist.
Turnquist told Detroit News the home’s fire alarm and smoke detectors were key to minimizing the damage and assuring no injuries.
Beyond that, he said, “smoke alarms older than 10 years need to be replaced. At that point, they tend to be less sensitive. People think they have a smoke alarm when they really don’t.”
Bob Seger’s ‘Roll Me Away’ Farewell Tour
Seger wrapped his Roll Me Away farewell tour two years ago at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The 76-year-old rocker stated this would most likely be his final tour following the death of fellow band-member Alto Reed. Longtime saxophonist for Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band, Alto Reed died of colon cancer on Dec. 30, 2020. The 72-year-old musician fought courageously in his battle with stage four colon cancer.
“I listened really hard to him,” Seger said during a June 2021 interview with SiriusXM, recalling his final phone call with Reed. “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.”
In an Instagram post, Seger shared the unfortunate news with his fans.
“It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our lifelong friend and bandmate, Alto Reed. Alto passed away this morning at his home with his family by his side after fighting a courageous battle with colon cancer.”
Reed played with The Silver Bullet Band for nearly 50 years beginning in 1971. He was a co-founding member of the band beginning with 1976’s NightMoves album released via Capitol Records.
Seger fans hold onto hope that the classic rock mogul may still have performances in him. However, Seger seems pretty content with his decision stating, “You know, I’ve had a great life, oh my goodness. I loved what I did. Never worked a day in my life, really. The hard parts were sleeping in hotels, having rotten food.”
