Bob Seger Goes To Katmandu
Did you know Bob Seger has actually been to Katmandu? It happened back in 1991 as part of an ABC special about the World Special Olympics – Bob went to Nepal’s capital to visit (and support) a 17 year old athlete…here’s part one of the video:
Here’s a newspaper clip from 1991 about Bob’s experience:
The Michigan-born rock singer expressed a longing to visit Nepal’s capital in his 1976 hit song “Katmandu”: “I think I’m goin’ to Katmandu, that’s really, really where I’m goin’ to. If I ever get outta here, that’s what I’m gonna do.”Seger, 45, visited Katmandu in February, to watch the World Special Olympics.
He said he met a fan he didn’t know he had: King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. He said the king asked him, “What made you write that song, anyway?”
Seger said that he was “always fascinated by exotic places. I wrote the song from the perspective of someone who has yearned for a place as far from America as anybody could get,” he told the king.
Seger said Katmandu, nestled in the Himalayas between India and China, was “a very mysterious and beautiful place in a lot of ways, like another planet for me.”
Here’s more of Bob Seger with Min Sujuwal (the 17 year old athlete from Nepal) – check out as they arrive in Minneapolis for the World Special Olympics.
Bob wasn’t the only celebrity to volunteer their time (and passion) for the Special Olympics over the years – but this special on ABC helped raise awareness worldwide for the games and financial support. I remember reading once that the original Special Olympics were pulled off with a 10k budget and a sound system borrowed from a friend.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Bob Seger is the Mayor of Michigan. He’s one of us. Sitting in his lawn chair watching the cars on Woodward, going to Tigers and Pistons games, wearing an “I Still Call It Pine Knob” t-shirt. We’re blessed to live in a time where Bob Seger is part of our world. – Jim
