The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees (bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees) in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variations) in other countries, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago.^{[citation needed]}

The Latin honors system used in the United States is different but has some similarities.

Degree classification[link]

A degree may be awarded with or without honours, with the class of an honours degree based on the average mark of the assessed work a candidate has completed. Below is a list of the possible classifications with common abbreviations. Honours degrees are in bold.

• First class honours (1st)
• Second class honours, upper division (2:1)
• Second class honours, lower division (2:2)
• Third class honours (3rd)
• Ordinary degree (Pass)

At most institutions the system allows a small amount of discretion and candidates may be elevated to the next degree class if their average mark is close to, or the median of their weighted marks achieves the higher class and they have submitted many pieces of work worthy of the higher class. However they may be demoted a class if they fail to pass all parts of the course even if they have a high average.

There are also variations between universities (especially in Scotland, where honours are usually reserved only for courses lasting four years or more, with a three-year course leading to the awarding of an Ordinary degree; see Master of Arts (Scotland)) and requirements other than the required average mark are often needed to be awarded honours. (In Scotland it is possible to start University a year younger than in the rest of the United Kingdom as the Scottish Highers exams are often taken at age 17, not 18, so four-year courses end at the same age as a three-year course elsewhere in the UK, assuming no gap years.)

When a candidate is awarded a degree with honours, "(Hons)" may be suffixed to their designatory letters, e.g. BA(Hons), BSc(Hons), MA(Hons). An MA(Hons) would generally indicate a degree award from certain Scottish universities. However, honours are awarded when 360 tariff points are achieved (typically 6 modules at 20 credits each per year), with a non honours degree requiring at least 300 tariff points^{[citation needed]}.

At Oxford and Cambridge, honours classes apply to examinations, not to degrees. Thus, in Cambridge, where undergraduates are examined at the end of each part (one- or two-year section) of the tripos, a student may receive different classifications for different parts. The degree itself does not formally have a class.^[1] Most Cambridge graduates use the class of the final part as the class of the degree,^{[citation needed]} but this is an informal usage. At Oxford, where examinations are split between Honour Moderations or Prelims in the first part, and the Final Honour School in the second, it is the results of the Final Honour School results that are generally applied to the degree.

At some universities, candidates who successfully complete one or more years of degree-level study, but do not complete the full degree course, may be awarded a lower qualification: a Certificate of Higher Education or Higher National Certificate for one year of study, or a Diploma of Higher Education or Higher National Diploma for two years.

The Graduateship (post-nominal GCGI) and Associateship (post-nominal ACGI) awarded by the City & Guilds of London Institute are mapped to a British Honours degree.

The Engineering Council Graduate Diploma is set at the same level as the final year of a British BEng.

First-class honours[link]

First-class honours degrees (often simply referred to as a "first") are usually the highest level of degree awarded and indicate high academic achievement. In 2010/11, about 15 % of all degree candidates graduated with first-class honours.

The percentages of graduates achieving a first vary greatly by university and course studied. For instance, firsts in Maths, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering or Law are less frequent.^[2]

A minority of universities award first-class honours with particular distinction, informally known as a "Starred First" (Cambridge, York, UEA) or a "Congratulatory First" (Oxford). Rarer variants also exist, indicating exceptional distinction; at Cambridge sometimes a "Double Starred First" or even "Triple Starred First" may be awarded; this should not be confused with "Double first-class honours", below.^[3]

Upper second-class honours[link]

The upper division is commonly abbreviated to 2:1 (pronounced two-one). The 2:1 is a minimum requirement for entry to many postgraduate courses in the UK. It is also required for the award of a research council postgraduate studentship in the UK, although possession of a masters degree can render a candidate eligible for an award if his or her first degree is below 2:1 standard.

The percentage of candidates who achieve upper second-class honours can vary widely by degree subject as well as university.^[4]

Lower second-class honours[link]

This is the second division of second class degrees and is abbreviated as 2:2 (pronounced two-two). This is generally the lowest level of degree with which a graduate can go on to postgraduate programmes (although not usually in medical or natural sciences) or graduate recruitment schemes of major companies.

Third-class honours[link]

Third-class honours is the lowest honours classification in most modern universities. Historically, Oxford awarded fourth-class honours degrees, and until the late 1970s did not distinguish between "upper seconds" (2:1s) and "lower seconds" (2:2s). Roughly 7.2% of students graduating in 2006 with an honours degree received a Third.^[4][5]

Ordinary degree[link]

An Ordinary degree is a pass degree without honours. A number of universities offer ordinary degree courses to students, but most students enroll in honours degree courses. Some honours courses permit students who fail the first year by a small margin (around 10%) to transfer to the Ordinary degree. Ordinary degrees are sometimes awarded to honours degree students who do not complete an honours degree course to the very end but complete enough of it to earn a pass.

Scottish universities offer Ordinary degrees as a qualification in its own right, which last three years, as well as an honours degree over four years. This is in contrast to English universities that have honours degree with three years of study, though a similar programme in Scotland is not unheard of, provided a high entrance grade is achieved. An Ordinary degree from a Scottish university (also known as a designated degree) is often sufficient to study a post graduate course.

An Ordinary degree in Scotland is not therefore, as in England, a failed honours degree. Students can decide, usually at the end of their second or third year, whether or not they wish to complete a fourth honours year. Scottish universities may also award their Ordinary degrees with 'distinction' if a student achieves a particularly good grade average, usually 65% or above. A common example of a Scottish Ordinary degree is the Bachelor of Laws course taken by graduates of other subjects, as this is sufficient (without honours) for entry to the legal profession.

Uncommon degree classifications[link]

Double first-class honours[link]

A "double first" at Oxford and Cambridge originally referred to first-class honours in two subjects in the same set of examinations, usually the Classical and Mathematical Triposes in Cambridge or the Literae Humaniores and Mathematics Final Honour Schools in Oxford. It was also possible to obtain "double firsts" at Honour Moderations. It is no longer possible for undergraduates to read two subjects concurrently at Cambridge. The expression is used at Cambridge to describe first-class honours "in two sets of examinations corresponding to two different (sic) Parts of Triposes".^[6] The two parts of a Tripos come at different points in an undergraduate's career.

At Oxford, the term "double first" can signify that a candidate has achieved First Class Honours in both subjects of a Joint Honours degree and it is sometimes used to describe first-class honours in Honour Moderations and the Final Honour School, usually in the same subject.

Aegrotat[link]

A candidate who is unable to take his or her exams because of illness can sometimes be awarded an aegrotat degree; this is an honours degree without classification, awarded on the understanding that had the candidate been well, he or she would have obtained honours.

International comparisons[link]

An approximate mapping between British classifications and US Grade Point Averages can be inferred from the University College London graduate admissions criteria.^[7] Canadian GPAs differ; the British Graduate Admissions Fact Sheet from McGill University states that in their system, where standings are reported in lieu of an average, a CGPA (cumulative grade point average) is determined.^[8] However, different universities convert grades differently. UCL's system is at odds with LSE, which for example considers GPA (US) of 3.5 as equivalent to a 2.1.^[9] Also most Oxbridge departments consider a 3.75 the equivalent of a First; see for instance English Language and Literature post graduate requirement at Oxford.^[10] Grade equivalents given by WES,^[11] World Education Services, which provide qualification conversion services to many Universities, also converts British degrees to higher GPAs than the conversion used by UCL, if the guidelines for converting grades to GPA given by Duke University^[12] are used. Interestingly, this conversion is very similar to that given by WES and Duke, and that used by LSE and Oxbridge. Furthermore, the grade conversion from Fulbright Commission states that the equivalent of 70+ in Britain is a 4.0 US GPA.^[13]

The Fullbright Commission created the table below as "an unofficial chart with approximate grade conversions between UK results and US GPA." It should be noted that there is no hard and fast rule of converting the degrees, because different institutions compare differently.

BA(Hons) degrees attained in Britain are at the level of NQF 6 - where the BA and Honours degrees exist. MA degrees are at NQF 7 and PhD degrees are at level NQF 8. Other countries, specifically South Africa, equate different NQF levels to degrees: for instance, a master's degree in South Africa is at NQF 8, while a doctoral degree is at NQF 9. The reason for this difference in NQF levels is that South Africa requires students to undertake a fourth year, or an honours degree, between their bachelor's and master's degree. SAQA, the South African Qualifications Accreditation company, compares international degrees with local degrees before any international student continues their studies in that country. While the British degree accreditation and classification system allows students to go straight from a three year bachelor's degree onto a master's degree, South Africa does not do so, unless the student has proven research capabilities. South African Honours degrees prepare the students to undertake a research-specific degree (in terms of master's), by spending an in-depth year (up to 5 modules) creating research proposals and undertaking a research project of limited scope. This prepares students for the research degrees later in their academic career.

Progression to postgraduate study[link]

Regulations governing the progression of undergraduate degree graduates to postgraduate programmes vary between universities, and are often flexible. A candidate for a postgraduate master's degree is usually required to have at least a 2:2 degree, although candidates with 2:1s are in a considerably stronger position to gain a place on a postgraduate course and to obtain funding, especially in medical and natural sciences. Some institutions specify a 2:1 minimum for certain types of master's program, such as for a Master of Research course.^[15][16]

Candidates with a Third or ordinary degree are sometimes accepted, provided they have acquired satisfactory professional experience subsequent to graduation. A candidate for a doctoral programme who does not hold a master's degree is nearly always required to have a First or 2:1.

British medical and dental degrees[link]

In the United Kingdom, medicine is taught as an undergraduate course and, upon successful completion of the course, the graduate holds the conjoined degrees of Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, BM BCh or MB ChB; chirurgery meaning surgery); in some cases Bachelor in the Art of Obstetrics (BAO) is added to the formal name of these degrees. The BAO is a tradition of Irish universities and so only the Queen's University of Belfast gives a BAO in addition to the bachelors of medicine and surgery in the UK; universities in the Republic of Ireland also present a BAO to graduates. However, unlike most undergraduate degrees, MBBS is not awarded in classes (i.e., there are no first, second or third class honours MBBS degrees). Individual degrees are marked as pass or fail, with some universities also awarding passes with merit. Results of final examinations in fourth or fifth year split the year groups into one of four quartiles. These quartiles allocate base points for NHS job applications where the top quartile awards 40 points, decreasing by two points for the second quartiles and again for the third and fourth. Distinctions can be awarded for certain parts of the course to the best students (who will usually have several merits already). Honours are awarded at some institutions for exceptional performance throughout the course, as well as a medal sometimes for the most outstanding degree candidates in medicine or dentistry^{[citation needed]}.

See also[link]

• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Scottish Master of Arts
• Latin honors
• Joint Honours

References[link]

v t e Universities in the United Kingdom England East Anglia Anglia Ruskin Bedfordshire Cambridge Cranfield East Anglia Essex Hertfordshire London University of London Birkbeck CSSD Courtauld Goldsmiths Heythrop ICR IoE King's LBS LSE LSHTM Queen Mary Royal Academy of Music Royal Holloway RVC St George's SOAS UCL Other Brunel City East London Greenwich Kingston Imperial London Met London South Bank Middlesex RCA RCM Roehampton UAL Westminster West London Midlands Aston Birmingham Birmingham City Coventry De Montfort Derby Keele Leicester Lincoln Loughborough Northampton Nottingham Nottingham Trent Staffordshire Warwick Wolverhampton Worcester North Bolton Bradford Central Lancashire Chester Cumbria Durham Edge Hill Huddersfield Hull Lancaster Leeds Leeds Metropolitan Liverpool Liverpool Hope Liverpool John Moores Manchester Manchester Metropolitan Newcastle Northumbria Salford Sheffield Sheffield Hallam Sunderland Teesside York York St. John South Bath Bath Spa Bournemouth Brighton Bristol Buckingham Buckinghamshire New Canterbury Christ Church Chichester Creative Arts Exeter Gloucestershire Kent Oxford Oxford Brookes Plymouth Portsmouth Reading Southampton Southampton Solent Surrey Sussex UWE Winchester Northern Ireland Queen's Ulster Scotland Aberdeen Abertay Dundee Dundee Edinburgh Edinburgh Napier Glasgow Glasgow Caledonian Heriot-Watt Highlands and Islands Queen Margaret Robert Gordon RCS St Andrews Stirling Strathclyde UWS Wales Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan Glamorgan Glyndŵr Newport Swansea Swansea Metropolitan UW Trinity Saint David Overseas territories University of the West Indies Bermuda College Cayman Islands Law School International College of the Cayman Islands St. Matthews University University College of the Cayman Islands University of Science, Arts and Technology American University of the Caribbean Saint James School of Medicine Non−geographic Lambeth degrees Open University University of London International Programmes Related List by size List by date of foundation (Third oldest in England) List by endowment Colleges within universities Degree abbreviations National Union of Students Rankings Undergraduate degree classification UCAS Category Commons List

Jonathan "Jon" Lajoie (born August 21, 1980) is a Canadian comedian, actor, rapper, singer, musician and Internet celebrity from Montreal, Quebec.^[1]

Background[link]

Lajoie was born in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada and raised in Montreal, Quebec. His father is French-Canadian and his mother is English-Canadian. He graduated from Dawson College's theatre program in 2001.^[2] Since 2003, he has acted as an English-Canadian musician named Thomas Edison in Radio-Canada's French-Canadian sitcom L'auberge du chien noir.^[3]

Career[link]

Jon Lajoie began his career as a comedian in 2007. Lajoie's performance included music, skits, and some stand-up comedy. Jon Lajoie has also released 2 studio albums.

[edit] The League

Lajoie currently has a role in the FX Network TV show called The League as Taco MacArthur, a perpetually stoned and unemployed musician.^[4] Lajoie performs his song "The Birthday Song" and "Vaginal Hubris" in two episodes of the first season. Throughout the series, Lajoie performs songs written specifically for the show.

[edit] Comedy Central Presents

Jon Lajoie filmed an episode of Comedy Central Presents on November 7, 2009.^[5] It premiered on March 5, 2010.^[6] The same special aired uncensored as part of Comedy Central's Secret Stash on June 6 at 1:30 AM (EST). The special featured the world premiere of the video for his song "Pop Song".

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

• "Very Super Famous" (2011)
• "The Best Song" (2011)
• "F**k Everything" (2011)

Music videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jon Lajoie's channel on YouTube
• Jon Lajoie on Myspace
• Lajoie on Funny or Die
• Jon Lajoie at the Internet Movie Database
• The Lance – Jon Lajoie's transition from online to stage, Dec. 3, 2008
• Jon Lajoie Conquers web with Coarse Songs – AOL Music

Bob Seger
Bob Seger on stage in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Robert Clark Seger
Born	(1945-05-06) 6 May 1945 (age 67) Dearborn, Michigan
Genres	Rock, heartland rock, roots rock, piano rock, country rock, country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Hideout, Cameo, Capitol, Palladium
Associated acts	Glenn Frey, The Eagles, Frankie Miller, Shaun Murphy, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Little Feat, Kid Rock, Grand Funk Railroad
Website	BobSeger.com

Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.

As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and he continued to strive for broader success with other various bands. In 1973, he put together The Silver Bullet Band, an evolving group of Detroit-area musicians, with whom he became most successful. In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the album Night Moves. On his studio albums, he also worked extensively with the Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which appeared on several of Seger's best-selling singles and albums.

A roots rocker with a classic raspy, shouting voice, Seger wrote and recorded songs that dealt with blue-collar themes and was an exemplar of heartland rock. Seger has recorded many hits, including "Night Moves", "Turn the Page", "We've Got Tonight", "Against the Wind", and "Like a Rock", and also co-wrote the Eagles' number-one hit "Heartache Tonight". His iconic recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001.

With a career spanning five decades, Seger continues to perform and record today. Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early years[link]

Bob Seger was born in Dearborn, Michigan, to Stewart and Charlotte Seger, and lived in the area until age 6 when his family moved to nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan.^[1] He has an older brother George.^[2]

Seger's father, a medical technician for the Ford Motor Company, played several instruments and Seger was exposed to music from an early age.^[2] Seger was also exposed to frequent arguments between his parents that disturbed the neighborhood at night.^[2] In 1956, when Seger was 10 years old, his father abandoned the family and moved to California.^[2] The remaining family soon lost their comfortable middle-class status and struggled financially.^[2]

Seger attended Tappan Junior High School (now Tappan Middle School) and graduated from Pioneer High School in 1963. He ran track and field in high school. Seger also went to Lincoln Park High School for a year.^[3]

Seger has stated that the first musicians "that really got to me" were Little Richard and Elvis Presley.^[4] "Come Go With Me" by The Del Vikings, a hit in 1957, was the first record he bought.

Regional favorite: 1961–1976[link]

The Decibels & The Town Criers[link]

Bob Seger arrived on the Detroit music scene in 1961 fronting a three-piece band called the Decibels. The band included Seger on guitar, piano, keyboards, and vocals, Pete Stanger on guitar, and H.B. Hunter on drums. All of the members attended Ann Arbor High. The Decibels recorded an acetate demo of a song called "The Lonely One", at Del Shannon's studio in 1961. As well as being Seger's first original song, "The Lonely One" was Seger's first song to be played on the radio, airing only once on an Ann Arbor radio station.^[2][5]

After the Decibels disbanded, Seger joined the Town Criers, a four-piece band with Seger on lead vocals, John Flis on bass, Pep Perrine on drums, and Larry Mason on lead guitar. The Town Criers, covering songs like "Louie Louie", began gaining a steady following. Meanwhile, Seger was listening to James Brown and said that, for him and his friends, Live at the Apollo was their favorite record following its release in 1963. Seger was also widely influenced by the music of The Beatles, once they hit American shores in 1964. In general, he and local musician friends such as future Eagle Glenn Frey bought into the premises of 1960s pop and rock radio, with its hook-driven hits; he later recalled he and Frey thinking at the time, "You’re nobody if you can’t get on the radio."^[6]

Doug Brown & The Omens[link]

As the Town Criers began landing more gigs, Bob Seger met a man named Doug Brown, backed by a band called the Omens. Seger joined Doug Brown & the Omens, who presumably had a bigger following than the Town Criers. While Doug Brown was the primary lead vocalist for the group, Seger would take the lead on some songs—covering R&B numbers.^[2] It was with this group that Seger first appeared on an officially released recording: the 1965 single "TGIF" backed with "First Girl", credited to Doug Brown and the Omens. Seger later appeared on Doug Brown and the Omens' parody of Barry Sadler's song "Ballad of the Green Berets" which was re-titled "Ballad of the Yellow Beret" and mocked draft dodgers. Soon after its release, Sadler and his record label threatened Brown and his band with a lawsuit and the recording was withdrawn from the market.^[7]

While Bob was a member of the Omens, he met his longtime manager Edward "Punch" Andrews, who at the time was partnered with Dave Leone running the Hideout franchise, which consisted of two clubs where local acts would play and a small-scale record label. Seger began writing and producing for other acts that Punch was managing, such as the Mama Cats and the Mushrooms (with Frey). It was then when Seger and Doug Brown were approached by Punch and Leone to write a song for the Underdogs, another local band who recently had a hit with a song called "Man in the Glass". Seger contributed a song called "East Side Story", which ultimately proved to be a failure for the Underdogs.^[7]

The Last Heard[link]

Seger decided to record "East Side Story" himself, and officially left the Omens (though he did retain Doug Brown as a producer). As Bob Seger and the Last Heard, Seger released his version of the song with Hideout Records in January 1966, and it became his first big Detroit hit. The single (backed with "East Side Sound", an instrumental version of "East Side Story") sold 50,000 copies, mostly in the Detroit area, and led to a contract with Cameo-Parkway Records. Though the name "The Last Heard" originally referred to the collection of Omens and Town Criers who recorded "East Side Story" with Seger, it soon became the name of Seger's permanent band, which consisted of former Town Crier Pep Perrine on drums, Carl Lagassa on guitar, and Dan Honaker on bass. Following "East Side Story", the group released four more singles: the James Brown-inspired holiday single "Sock It to Me Santa", the Dylan-esque "Persecution Smith", "Vagrant Winter", and perhaps the most notable, "Heavy Music", released in 1967. "Heavy Music", which sold even more copies than "East Side Story", had potential to break out nationally when Cameo-Parkway suddenly went out of business. The song would stay in Seger's live act for many years to come.

The Bob Seger System[link]

After Cameo-Parkway folded, Seger and Punch began searching for a new label. In the spring of 1968, Bob Seger & the Last Heard signed with major label Capitol Records, turning down Motown Records, who offered more money than Capitol. Seger felt that Capitol was more appropriate for his genre than Motown.^[2]

Capitol changed the name of the band to The Bob Seger System. In the transition between labels, guitarist Carl Lagassa left the band and keyboard player Bob Schultz joined. The System's first single with Capitol was the anti-war message song "2 + 2 = ?", which reflected a marked change in Seger's political attitudes from "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret". The single was again a hit in Detroit, and hit number 1 on radio stations in Buffalo, New York and Orlando, Florida,^[8] but went unnoticed almost everywhere else, and failed to chart nationally in the US. The single did, however, make the Canadian national charts, peaking at #79.

The second single from The Bob Seger System was "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". It was a major hit in Michigan, but it also became Seger's first national hit, peaking at #17. The song's success led to the release of an album of the same title in 1969. The Ramblin' Gamblin' Man album reached #62 on the Billboard pop albums chart.

Seger was unable to follow up this success. For the next album, singer/songwriter Tom Neme joined The System, ultimately writing and singing the majority of the tunes featured, for which the group was heavily criticized. The album, called Noah, failed to chart at all, leading Seger to briefly quit the music industry and attend college. He returned the following year and put out the System's final album, 1970's Mongrel, this time without Tom Neme. Bob Schultz left the band as well, being replaced by Dan Watson. Mongrel, with the powerful single "Lucifer", was considered to be a strong album by many critics and Detroit fans, but failed to do well commercially.

Solo[link]

After Mongrel failed to live-up to the success of Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, The System dissipated. For a short period of time following the breakup, Seger had ambitions to be a one-man act.^[9] In 1971, Seger released his first solo album, the all-acoustic Brand New Morning. The album was a commercial failure and led to Seger's departure from Capitol Records.^[5][10]

Seger, having regained an eye for bands,^[9] began playing with the duo Teegarden & Van Winkle, who in 1970 had a hit single with "God, Love and Rock & Roll". Together they recorded Smokin' O.P.'s, released on Punch Andrews' own Palladium Records. The album mainly consisted of covers, spawning a minor hit with a version of Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" (#76 US), though it did feature "Someday", a new Seger original, and a re-release of "Heavy Music". The album reached 180 on the Billboard 200.

After spending the better part of 1972 touring with Teegarden & Van Winkle, Seger left the duo to put together a new backing band, referred to as both My Band and the Borneo Band, made up of musicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jamie Oldaker, Dick Sims, and Marcy Levy were all members of My Band before joining Eric Clapton's backing band. In 1973, Seger put out Back in '72, recorded partly with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, a renowned group of session musicians who had recorded with the likes of J. J. Cale and Aretha Franklin.^[11] According to Seger, there was a financial misunderstanding with the musicians: they offered to record him "for $1500 a side", which he took to mean $1500 per album side. When he found out that they meant $1500 per song, he left after recording three songs but resolved to work with them in the future.^[11] Back in '72 featured the studio version of Seger's later live classic "Turn the Page;" "Rosalie", a song Seger wrote about CKLW music director Rosalie Trombley (and which was later recorded by Thin Lizzy); and "I've Been Working", a song originally by Van Morrison, a strong influence on Seger's musical development.^[12] Despite the strength of Seger's backup musicians, the album only reached 188 on the US charts and has since faded into obscurity. Even so, Back in '72 and its supporting tour mark the beginnings of Seger's long-time relationships with future Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed, powerhouse female vocalist Shaun Murphy, and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Over the tour, My Band would prove to be unreliable, which frustrated Seger. By the end of 1973, Seger had left My Band in search of a new backing band.

The Silver Bullet Band[link]

In 1974, Seger formed The Silver Bullet Band. Its original members were guitarist Drew Abbott, drummer and backup-singer Charlie Allen Martin, keyboard-player Rick Mannassa, bass guitarist Chris Campbell, and saxophone player Alto Reed (then known as Tom Cartmell). With this new band sitting in occasionally, Seger released the album Seven, which contained the Detroit-area hard-rock hit "Get Out of Denver". This track was a modest success and charted at #80 nationally.

In 1975, Seger returned to Capitol Records and released the album Beautiful Loser, with help from The Silver Bullet Band (with new keyboardist Robyn Robbins replacing Mannassa) on his cover of the Tina Turner penned "Nutbush City Limits". The album's single "Katmandu" (in addition to being another substantial Detroit-area hit) was Seger's first real national break-out track since "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". Although it just missed the US Pop Top 40 - peaking at #43 - the song received strong airplay in a number of markets nationwide including Detroit.

In April 1976, Seger and The Silver Bullet Band released the album Live Bullet, recorded over two nights in Detroit's Cobo Arena in September 1975. It contained Seger's rendition of "Nutbush City Limits" as well as Seger's own classic take on life on the road, "Turn the Page", from Back in '72. It also included his late 1960s successful releases — "Heavy Music" and "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". Critic Dave Marsh later wrote that "Live Bullet is one of the best live albums ever made ... In spots, particularly during the medley of 'Travelin' Man'/'Beautiful Loser' on side one, Seger sounds like a man with one last shot at the top."^[13] An instant best-seller in Detroit, Live Bullet began to get attention in other parts of the country, selling better than Seger's previous albums, getting progressive rock radio and album-oriented rock airplay, and enabling Seger to headline more shows.^[14] Yet still, Seger had a popularity imbalance. In June 1976, he was a featured performer at the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit in front of nearly 80,000 fans. The next night, Seger played before fewer than a thousand people in Chicago.^[15]

Peak of success: 1976–1987[link]

Seger in 1977.

Seger finally achieved his commercial breakthrough with his October 1976 album Night Moves. The title song "Night Moves" was a highly evocative, nostalgic, time-spanning tale that was not only critically praised,^[14] but became a #4 hit single on the Billboard pop singles chart as well as a heavy album-oriented rock airplay mainstay. The album also contained "Mainstreet" (written about Ann Arbor's Ann Street),^[6] a #24 hit ballad that emphasized Seger's heartland rock credentials as well as guitarist Pete Carr's haunting lead guitar. The album also featured the anthem "Rock and Roll Never Forgets". Night Moves was Seger's first top ten album in the Billboard album chart, and as of 2006 was certified at 6 million copies in the United States alone - making it the biggest-selling studio album of his entire career. Furthermore, it activated sales of Seger's recent back catalog, so that Beautiful Loser would eventually sell 2 million and Live Bullet would go on to sell some 5 million copies in the United States. Indeed, Live Bullet stayed on the Billboard charts for 168 weeks and it remains one of the ten best-selling live albums of all time.

The following year, original Silver Bullet drummer Charlie Allen Martin was hit by a car from behind while walking on a service road, and was left unable to walk. David Teegarden, drummer for Seger on the Smokin' O.P.'s album, replaced him. Despite the loss, Seger followed up strongly with 1978's Stranger in Town. The first single, "Still the Same", emphasized Seger's talent for mid-tempo numbers that revealed a sense of purpose, and reached #4 on the pop singles chart. "Hollywood Nights" was an up-tempo #12 hit rocker, while "We've Got Tonight" was a slow ballad that reached #13 on the Hot 100. (The latter became an even bigger hit when country music superstar Kenny Rogers and pop singer Sheena Easton teamed up for a 1983 treatment of it that topped Billboard's Country and Adult Contemporary charts.) "Old Time Rock and Roll", a song from George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III that Seger substantially rewrote the lyrics for,^[6][16] was not a big pop hit initially, but achieved substantial album track airplay. Moreover, it would later become one of Seger's most recognizable songs following its memorable Tom Cruise-dancing-in-his-underwear use in the 1983 film Risky Business. Indeed, it has been ranked the second-most played Jukebox Single of all time, behind Patsy Cline's "Crazy".^[6] The iconic recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001. (Seger has ruefully remarked that not taking one-third writing credit on his recording was "the dumbest thing I ever did" financially.^[6])

Seger also co-wrote the Eagles' #1 hit song "Heartache Tonight" from their 1979 album The Long Run;^[6] their collaboration resulted from Seger and Glenn Frey's early days together in Detroit.

In 1980, Seger released Against the Wind (with ex-Grand Funk Railroad member Craig Frost replacing Robyn Robbins on keyboards) and it became his first and only #1 album on the Billboard album chart. The first single "Fire Lake" featured Eagles Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, and Glenn Frey on backing vocals and Muscle Shoals guitarist, Pete Carr, on 12-string acoustic. Fire Lake reached #6 on the Hot 100, while the title song "Against the Wind" reached #5 as a single and even crossed over to the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. "You'll Accomp'ny Me" became the third hit single from the record, reaching #14. Against the Wind would also win two Grammy Awards. As of 2006, both Stranger in Town and Against the Wind had sold over 5 million copies each in the United States.

The live 1981 album Nine Tonight encapsulated this three-album peak of Seger's commercial career. Seger's take on Eugene Williams' "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" became a Top Five hit from Nine Tonight and the album would go on to sell 4 million copies.

Seger released the acclaimed The Distance in the final days of 1982. During the recording of this album, Silver Bullet guitarist Drew Abbott left the band due to his frustration with Seger's frequent use of session musicians in the studio, and was replaced by Dawayne Bailey. After the album's release, David Teegarden also left the band due to internal conflict, and was replaced by ex-Grand Funk drummer Don Brewer. Critically praised for representing a more versatile sound than that of his recent material, The Distance spawned numerous hits beginning with Rodney Crowell's "Shame on the Moon". It was the biggest hit of Seger's entire career, hitting #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and holding at #2 for four consecutive weeks - behind Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" - on the Hot 100. It also crossed over to #15 on Billboard's Country Singles chart. The follow-up single, "Even Now", just missed the Top 10 and "Roll Me Away" peaked at #27. The driving album track "Making Thunderbirds" was a popular music video filmed in Detroit and well-received on MTV. Seger's multi-platinum sales dropped off at this point, with The Distance peaking at #5 and selling only 1.9 million copies in the United States. (This album was belatedly released on 8 track tape; Capitol reportedly had no plans to do so, but Seger, guessing that a good many of his fans still had 8 track players in their vehicles, prevailed upon the label to release the album in that discontinued format as well.)

In 1984, Seger wrote and recorded the power rock ballad "Understanding" for the film soundtrack Teachers. The song was another Top 20 hit for Seger in late 1984. In 1986, he wrote and recorded "Living Inside My Heart" for the film soundtrack of About Last Night....

Seger was no longer as prolific and several years elapsed before his next studio album, Like a Rock emerged in the spring of 1986. The fast-paced "American Storm" was another Top 20 single aided by a popular music video featuring actress Lesley Ann Warren, and "Like a Rock" followed, reaching #12 on Billboard's Hot 100. Later, it would become familiar to many Americans through its association with a long-running Chevrolet ad campaign (something Seger explicitly chose to do to support struggling American automobile workers in Detroit).^[17] Seger's 1986-1987 American Storm Tour was his self-stated last major tour, playing 105 shows over 9 months and selling almost 1.5 million tickets. Like a Rock reached #3 and eventually sold over 3 million copies although it has never been certified above platinum.

The following year Seger's "Shakedown", a somewhat uncharacteristic song off the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II's soundtrack, became his first and only #1 hit on the pop singles chart. The song had originally been intended for Seger's fellow Detroiter Glenn Frey, but when he lost his voice just prior to the recording session, he called in Seger to take his place. Seger changed the verses of the song but kept the chorus the same. The song would earn Seger an Academy Award nomination as co-writer in the Best Original Song category the following year.

Later years: 1988–present[link]

Bob Seger's next record was 1991's The Fire Inside, at a time when glam metal, grunge and alternative rock were taking the forefront. His new music found little visibility on radio or elsewhere. The same was true of 1995's It's a Mystery, although the album was certified gold (500,000 copies sold). However, in between his Greatest Hits compilation was his biggest-ever record in sales, having sold nearly 10 million copies in the United States as of 2010. Seger did go back on the road again for a 1996 tour, which was successful and sold the fourth-largest number of tickets of any North American tour that year. (Seger was once known for his concerts in small venues, as witnessed with his appearance at the 18th Amendment in Omaha, Nebraska.)

Seger took a sabbatical from the music business for about ten years to spend time with his wife and two young children. In 2001 and 2002, Seger won the prestigious Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race aboard his 52-foot (16 m) sailboat Lightning. He subsequently sold the boat. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004. Fellow Detroiter Kid Rock gave the induction speech and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm proclaimed that date Bob Seger Day in his honor. In 2005, Seger was featured singing with 3 Doors Down on the song "Landing in London" from their Seventeen Days album. That same year, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.^[18]

Seger's first new album in eleven years, titled Face the Promise, was released in 2006. In its first 45 days, it sold more than 400,000 copies.^[19] The album sold over 1.2 million copies, returning Seger to platinum status and staying on the Billboard chart for several months. His supporting tour was also eagerly anticipated, with many shows selling out within minutes. Showing that Seger's legendary appeal in Michigan had not diminished, all 15,000 tickets available for his first show at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena sold out in under five minutes; three additional shows were subsequently added, each of which also sold out. In the spring of 2006, The Bob Seger System was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.^[20] Seger has had five of his recordings voted as Legendary Michigan Songs: "Night Moves" in 2007, "2 + 2 = ?" in 2008, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" and "Old Time Rock & Roll" in 2009, and "Against The Wind" in 2010.^[21]

In 2009, Seger released a compilation album entitled Early Seger Vol. 1, which contained archival material from the 1970s and 1980s, including some fully or partially re-recorded tracks from his albums Smokin' O.P.'s and Seven and some never-before-released songs.^[22] The album was initially only available for purchase at Meijer stores and then later for download at BobSeger.com.^[23] Seger contributed piano and vocals on Kid Rock's 2010 album Born Free. Seger staged a successful arena tour during 2011, with another two-CD compilation album, Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets, slated for release.^[24] On May 28, 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder proclaimed that date as Bob Seger Day for his more than 50 years of sharing his celebrated musical talents with fans all over the world.^[25]

On December 30, 2011, before a sell-out crowd at the Mandalay Bay Resort Arena in Las Vegas, Seger closed another successful tour though it's likely not to be his last. On October 30, 2011, he told AnnArbor.com director Bob Needham he was returning to the studio to complete another new album for release in the fall of 2012, followed by another supporting tour.^[26]

Personal life[link]

Seger's first marriage in 1968 lasted for 'one day short of a year'. He had a long term relationship with Jan Dinsdale from 1972 until 1983. In 1987 he married actress Annette Sinclair and they divorced 1 year later. He married Nita (née Juanita Dorricott) in 1993 and they have two children, Samantha (Samantha Char) and Cole (Christopher Cole).^[27]

Seger lives mainly at his home in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He frequents many local events including West Bloomfield High School football games to watch his son who is in the nationally-ranked marching band. Seger also has a vacation house near Good Hart, Michigan.

His son Andrew works as a screen print artist in New Jersey.

Discography[link]

See also[link]

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of people from Ann Arbor

Notes[link]

Oakwood Hospital did not open until January, 1953.

References[link]

• 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide
• Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 1983. ISBN 0-8230-7511-7.
• Joel Whitburn, Top Adult Contemporary 1961-2001, 2002. ISBN 0-89820-149-7.
• Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic biographical entry on Bob Seger

External links[link]

	Book: Bob Seger
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Bob Seger at the Internet Movie Database
• Bob Seger's Michigan - Interactive map at DetNews.com
• Historic Photos of Bob Seger - Backstage Gallery

v t e Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Bob Seger Craig Frost Chris Campbell Alto Reed Drew Abbott Charlie Allen Martin Dave Teegarden Rick Mannassa Robyn Robbins Dawayne Bailey The Bob Seger System albums Ramblin' Gamblin' Man Noah Mongrel Bob Seger solo albums Brand New Morning Smokin' O.P.'s Back in '72 Seven Beautiful Loser Face the Promise Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band albums Night Moves Stranger in Town Against the Wind The Distance Like a Rock The Fire Inside It's a Mystery Live albums Live Bullet Nine Tonight Compilations The Bob Seger Collection Greatest Hits Greatest Hits 2 Early Seger Vol. 1 Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets Singles "East Side Story" "Heavy Music" "2 + 2 = ?" "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" "Lucifer" "Turn the Page" "Get Out of Denver" "Katmandu" "Nutbush City Limits" "Night Moves" "Mainstreet" "Hollywood Nights" "We've Got Tonite" "Old Time Rock and Roll" "Fire Lake" "Against the Wind" "You'll Accomp'ny Me" "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" "Shame on the Moon" "Roll Me Away" "Fortunate Son" "Like a Rock" "Shakedown" "Landing in London" (with 3 Doors Down) "Wait for Me" "Downtown Train" Related articles Discography Gibson/Miller Band Book:Bob Seger

Kobe Bryant

Bryant greeting some fans in February 2007
No. 24 – Los Angeles Lakers
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1978-08-23) August 23, 1978 (age 33) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
High school	Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	1996–present
Career history
1996–present	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009–2010) NBA Most Valuable Player (2008) 14× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2012) 2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007) 10× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2012) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005) 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2011) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002, 2012) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997) 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1997) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)
Stats at NBA.com
Medals Men's basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing National Team FIBA Americas Championship Gold 2007 Las Vegas Team competition

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He decided to declare his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals was followed by O'Neal's trade from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant became the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award on both occasions.

As of February 2012^[update], Bryant ranks third and fifth on the league's all-time post-season scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been held with fourteen All-Star appearances, winning the All-Star MVP Award four times (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011). Bryant is tied for the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA history. He is a 14-time member of the All-NBA team and an 12-time member of the All-Defensive team; he is also the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors. At the 2008 Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the USA national team. In 2009, Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2000s decade.

In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault after having sex with a hotel employee in Colorado. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser refused to testify. A civil suit was later filed and settled out of court.

Early years[link]

Childhood and youth[link]

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest of three children and the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.^[1] He is also the maternal nephew of John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.^[1] Bryant was raised Roman Catholic.^[2] When Bryant was six, his father left the NBA and moved his family to Italy to continue playing professional basketball.^[3] Bryant became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak Italian and Spanish.^[3][4] During summers, he would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league.^[5]

Bryant started playing basketball when he was 3 years old,^[6] and his favorite team growing up was the Lakers.^[7] Bryant's grandfather would mail him videos of NBA games, which Bryant would study.^[7] At an early age he also learned to play soccer; his favorite team is AC Milan.^[8] He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player;^[8] Bryant is a big fan of former FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and their former player Ronaldinho.^[9] Upon Joe Bryant's retirement from playing basketball in 1991, the Bryant family moved back to the United States.