More at the Variety link

Alto Reed, the longtime saxophone player for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, died Wednesday of complications from colon cancer. He was 72.

Reed’s notable performances with the Silver Bullet Band include the introduction to “Turn the Page” and his saxophone solo in “Old Time Rock and Roll.” On stage, Reed was Seger’s visual foil with his eye-catching performances, blowing two saxophones at once, playing maracas and timpani behind the drummer during “Come to Poppa” and duck-walking across the stage during his extended solos for “Horizontal Bop.”

“I loved him like a brother,” Seger said in a statement. “I may have been the leader, but he was our rock star. 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. He took time for everybody, any picture, anywhere. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

All these dudes smoke. jeez.