Bob Seger Interview: Bob Talks Woodward, His First Car, Driving Tunes and Jeremy Clarkson
Back in 2016 I sent an email to Bob Seger’s managers asking if Bob would like to come on and talk cars with me. Just cars and cruising Woodward here in Detroit. They said yes. After composing myself, I spent a half hour during this Bob Seger interview talking about everything from cruising songs to his love of cars foreign and domestic. We even talked about his days in Ann Arbor and having three jobs to make ends meet.
Bob Seger Interview – Excerpts
Here’s some of our conversation for you – you’ll find the entire chat here
Jim: “So, what’s your go-to song or songs right now that help you clear your mind when you’re out driving?”
Seger: “Oh, there are so many. ‘Born to Be Wild,’ for sure. And for some reason, I love listening to ZZ Top when I drive. There’s just a motorized thing to their music.”
Jim: “Do you ever tell them that? When you talk to them?”
Seger: “Oh yeah, I met Billy.”
Jim: “How do they react?”
Seger: “Probably the same way I do when someone likes my music—flattered. I met Miranda Lambert when I did The Voice, and she really liked my music, and I really liked hers. It’s a wonderful feeling. It just feels comfortable.”
Jim: “Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, said your song ‘Long Twin Silver Line’ is his go-to tune when he needs to drive faster than he probably should.”
Seger: “That’s a good one. We played that on the last tour a couple of times. Now you’ve got me thinking about songs—’All Down the Line’ by the Stones is another great one.”
Jim: “Jeremy comes here to talk cars with you, and it’s funny because he admits he wanted to talk music, but you wanted to talk cars.”
Bob: “Yeah, we get that way—Detroiters.”
Jim: “Absolutely.”
Bob: “It’s in our DNA.”
Jim: “Has it always been that way for you?”
Bob: “Oh yeah, I grew up in Ann Arbor during the drive-in scene. It was like something out of American Graffiti, just watching cars come through. Everett’s Drive-In was the big spot in Ann Arbor. Seeing a beautiful ’61 Ford convertible with a 390 in it—just great stuff.”
Jim: “When did you have time to go to a drive-in? Didn’t you have, like, three jobs when you were 16?”
Bob: “Yes, I did. I was on a work co-op program because it was just my mother, my brother was in the service, and my dad was gone. I sold clothes at Wilds, which is gone now. I worked at Brown Jug, delivering pizzas on weekends, and I also played at fraternity parties.”
Jim: “So you had three jobs, and your first car was a ’54 Ford, right?”
Bob: “Yeah, but it only lasted about a month. I really consider my first car to be a ’55 Ford, which lasted about nine months.”
Jim: “What happened to these cars?”
Bob: “I wasn’t very wealthy, so I was buying $100 cars. The first was a ’54 Ford flathead, the second was a ’54 Chevy, which also ran for about a month. Then I got a ’55 Ford, just a little sedan with posts. It wasn’t the cool one with all the windows down at once, but it was a V8 and automatic, which I wasn’t crazy about, but it was a great car.”
Jim: “The Dream Cruise—my wife noticed last year that we’re seeing more new cars, not just family cars, but Hellcats, new Mustangs, and Camaros. Do you like that?”
Bob: “That’s the brilliant thing they finally did. For years, we wanted them to remake those cars, and they finally did. Now we have retro versions of the Mustang, Dodge, Chrysler, and Camaro. I think it’s really cool.”
Jim: “Bob, you’ve probably been up and down Woodward Avenue a few times yourself.”
Bob: “Oh yeah.”
Jim: “What do you want people to think about when they see these classic cars and the people who come here from all over the country?”
Bob: “I hope they see more than just great cars. It’s about great music, and it’s just fun. I love that families come out—three generations together.”
Jim: “It’s fantastic.”
Bob: “Yeah, I love it too. The retro thing isn’t just with cars—now we see the Bronco and the Jeep Wagoneer coming back. It might only be a matter of time before we see all these models from the ’70s and ’80s back on the road.”
Jim: “Very possible. They might even bring back the Gremlin.”
Bob: “If I see a Gremlin with a Hellcat in it, I think I’ve done my job. That would be wild.”
Jim: “Let’s talk about your preference for the Corvette.”
Bob: “I just think they’re fantastic cars. I have a ’67 and a ’71. The ’71 is a little more civilized, but they’re both fantastic. I’ve always loved the Corvette, but I just love cars in general. I’m a Chrysler guy too, and a Ford guy. I feel like I’m the only guy who’s owned a car from every major automaker. I love my imports too, but there’s something about American muscle cars that just makes me giddy.”
Final Notes
Bob Seger is a blessing. We’re blessed to live in a time where we can enjoy his music and his love of Michigan. I’m proud to call Bob a friend…and fellow gearhead.
