Posted on 03/14/2007 8:35:56 PM PDT by RDTF
There aren't many rock stars whose band's debut album sells nearly 20 million copies thanks to eight tracks that continue to get played on rock radio more than 30 years later. And there are even fewer who are so anonymous they could slip by most people unnoticed at the mall or even at one of their own concerts.
But that's the story of Boston singer Brad Delp, who on Friday died at age 55 of undisclosed causes after leading one of the most understated rock and roll lifestyles of all time. Delp was the man who lent a muscular voice to Boston's 1976 self-titled debut, a tour de force that went platinum in three months on its way to becoming the fastest-selling debut album by any American group in history. The LP spawned such rock-radio staples as "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," "Foreplay/ Long Time" and "Rock and Roll Band."
(Excerpt) Read more at mtv.com ...
earlier thread said it was suicide.
sad tears
Suicide by carbon monoxide.
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=255077>1=7702
Folks, he wasn't anonymous to us up here in New England, especially those of us who enjoy the Beatles music.
His cover band, Beetlejuice, in which he was the lead singer, were the next best thing to hearing the Beatles live (I would guess)
Just unbelievable, to hear them play those Beatles songs with the energy they did, in those small clubs up here.
Prayers for him and his family.
Great voice. Amazing range and control.
wish I could have seen/heard it. Tomorrow I'll be playing Boston until I can't anymore.
Thanks for the great music and memories.
I just can't understand somebody committing suicide when they have a fiancee. A wife? Yes. An ex-wife? Definitely. A girlfriend? Possibly. But why does one off themselves while also planning to get married? Just makes no sense.
Uhmmmm...Brad sang all their hits.
I wonder what was eating at him. Boston was still touring, his own band was doing well, he was going to get married....
Boston wasn't my cup of tea, as I preferred more rough-around-the-edges rock, but their songwriting and musicianship was leagues above that of their peers, and Brad Delp was a fantastic singer. Who knows what drives a person to suicide? Prayers for his loved ones.
It's not my fault. I've known his name for as long as I can remember. I always considered him to be one of the best vocalists in rock.
Good point. How devastated must his fiancee be?
From what little information there was from the police I figured that's what it would be. He seemed to be enjoying life career wise. I wonder if there were problems with his relationship.
I found it interesting she wasn't with him that night. Maybe there were problems.
I still put in the CD and crank it up.
Sadness at his suicide.
Thank you Mr. Delp for your artistic talent and integrity. I pray that current musical groups learn from your success.
What is this CD you speak of?
If you don't know...
Wikipedia says Boston had resolved all their legal issues, Scholz had patched up with the other litigants/bandmembers and were planning a reunion tour at last. Can you imagine? What a horrible shame. No one can replace that voice.
Good rock n rollers are gradually being replaced by no talent studio performers. This death is a loss of a great contributor to the music of a generation.
May he rest in peace.
>>undisclosed causes
>earlier thread said it was suicide
may sound strange but I'm hearing he took 2 charcoal grilles
and put them in his bathroom, got them going, then went
by way of CO (carbon monoxide). I have heard of people
running their cars in a closed garage and getting CO that way (suicide or accident) but not this
Boston Herald (G. Fee & L. Raposa):
Brad Delp lit two charcoal grills in the bathroom adjacent to his master bedroom and committed suicide via asphyxiation last week, according to New Hampshire police who yesterday confirmed that the lead singer of the band Boston took his own life.
“He was a man who gave all he had to give to everyone around him, whether family, friends, fans or strangers,” the singer’s family said in a statement. “He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired. We take comfort in knowing that he is now, at last, at peace.”
Delp, 55, a Danvers native, left two sealed suicide notes taped to a door and letters to his family and his fiancée, Pamela Sullivan. But Atkinson, N.H., Police Lt. William Baldwin said the cops were not told why he took his life. Toxicology tests by the state medical examiner’s office showed that Delp died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It’s very sad for all of us who loved this guy,” said ex-Extreme drummer Paul Geary, a close friend of Delp and his family. “Whenever I called him for anything he’d drop everything and help, and whenever he called me it was for someone else.”
Friends said it was Delp’s constant need to help and please people that may have driven him to despair. He was literally the man in the middle of the bitter break-up of Boston - pulled from both sides by divided loyalties.
Delp remained on good terms with both Tom Scholz, the MIT grad who founded the band, and Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan and Sib Hashian, former members of Boston who had a fierce falling out with Scholz in the early ’80s.
Delp tried to please both sides by continuing to contribute his vocals to Scholz’ Boston projects while also remaining close to his former bandmates. The situation was complicated by the fact that Delp’s ex-wife, Micki, is the sister of Goudreau’s wife, Connie.
“Tom made him do the Boston stuff and the other guys were mad that they weren’t a part of it,” said another insider. “He was always under a lot of pressure.”
As you may know, in 1976 the band’s first album, featuring Scholz, Delp, Goudreau, Hashian and Sheehan, was the best-selling debut album in history, spawning rock staples “More Than a Feeling,” ‘Peace of Mind,’ “Foreplay/ Long Time” and ‘Rock and Roll Band.’ But shortly thereafter things deteriorated.
Scholz’ penchant for perfection and his well-chronicled control issues led to long delays between albums. As a result, Goudreau, Delp and Hashian released an album without him, which led to an irretrievable breakdown.
Scholz claimed that the other band members - with the exception of Delp - attempted to steal the name Boston. While the bitter battle raged, Delp tried to keep peace with both sides. He continued to perform with Scholz and the reconstituted Boston but also did projects with Goudreau and remained friends with the other original members.
How old is this journalist, 20? "Anonymous?" Maybe to those under 30, but us real rockers knew who he was. Maybe he just chose to live below the radar. Who can blame him?
I just saw on Fox - they are running the ticker tape about Delp and still saying he sang '2' of their biggest hits. 2? All! Someone needs to set the media straight on this!
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