It’s the birthday

… of Bob Seger, making Night Moves at 61 today.

Detroit has always been a musical hotbed, and Bob Seger is one of its greatest rock and roll talents. His was a long, slow climb to the top, and his overdue breakthrough – with Night Moves, in 1977 – attested to his belief in himself and rock music as a dream worth pursuing. For more than ten years Seger labored on rock’s fringe. Sustained by a rabid fan base, he cut some fine albums and performed at least 200 shows a year. As Dave Marsh wrote, “He had all the requisites of greatness: the voice, the songwriting, the performance onstage, the vision and the ambition.”

When Seger finally broke through, assuming a rightful place among such fellow travelers as the Eagles and Bruce Springsteen, it was sweet vindication for all the years spent in the shadows. (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

… of George Clooney. The Oscar-winner is 45. According to IMDB: “He says he will never get married again, nor have any children, but Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman both bet $10,000 each that he would be a father before he turned 40. They were both wrong and each sent him a check. He returned the money, betting double or nothing that he won’t have kids by age 50.”