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Boston frontman Brad Delp dies at 55

 

ATKINSON, N.H. - Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead Friday in his home in southern New Hampshire. He was 55.

 

Atkinson police responded to a call for help at 1:20 p.m. and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwin said in a statement the death was “untimely” and that there was no indication of foul play.

 

Delp apparently was alone at the time of his death, Baldwin said.

 

The cause of his death remained under investigation by the Atkinson police and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s office. Police said an incident report would not be available until Monday.

 

Delp sang vocals on Boston’s 1976 hits “More than a Feeling” and “Longtime.” He also sang on Boston’s most recent album, “Corporate America,” released in 2002.

 

He joined the band in the early 1970s after meeting Tom Scholz, an MIT student interested in experimental methods of recording music, according to the group’s official Web site. The band enjoyed its greatest success and influence during its first decade.

 

The band’s last appearance was in November 2006 at Boston’s Symphony Hall.

 

On Friday night, the Web site was taken down and replaced with the statement: “We just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll.”

 

A call to the Swampscott, Mass., home of Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau was not immediately returned Friday night.

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This is truly tragic. For those that aren't familiar with Brad or the band Boston, Brad was the father of two (a son and a daughter, both young adults). He was the most remarkably down-to-earth, humble person I've ever met. If you didn't already know, you would never guess that he was the lead singer for one of the most sucessful bands of all time. Easily the nicest person I've ever encountered. The best example I can come up with is that he used to mow the lawn of his elderly next-door neighbors until their deaths.

 

The sad thing is that Brad was a walking poster for clean living. He was a vegetarian (strict, I might add) since age 14. Didn't drink, never smoked. Didn't do drugs - it was almost impossible to get him to take an asprin.

 

Brad recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Pam Sullivan. To say she is shocked and heartbroken is an understatement...

 

If you only know of Brad's voice through Boston, then you owe it to yourself to check out his work with RTZ and his recently released album with former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau (who used to be Brad's brother-in-law). You can get more information from Barry's web site HERE.

 

Even more remarkable was Brad's involvement with a Beatles tribute band call BeatleJuice. Brad, along with some former high school friends/musicians, formed the band just for fun. Unlike other Beatles tribute bands, BeatleJuice didn't have separate singers for the parts by John and Paul - Brad could pull them off by himself. The band didn't try to mimic the look of the Beatles - just the music. You can learn more about BeatleJuice, and get some samples (they don't do them justice) HERE. However, the site is up-and-down at the moment, due to all the hits that have occurred due to Brad's death.

 

A real loss - not just for the music and talent, but because Brad was such a wonderful guy...

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while i may not have agreed with the political stance that the Band drifted to (Veganism, Save the Rain Forest type stuff) I still loved their music. Brad had an awesome range in vocals and could hit notes that no man should have been able to ever hit, and was still able to reach those high notes 25 years after the release of the first album. (when i saw them in concert in Phoenix in 95-96)

 

He will be missed

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Boston is the first band that I ever listened to. When I was like 5 or 6 my dad basically forced me to listen to them. I loved his voice. And since that day I've been in love with music. I dont know what my life would be like without music. My prayers are out to him, his family, friends, and any one else who had the pleasure of knowing this man.

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Boston is one band that I wish I could have seen in person, the loss of Brad is tragic aand my prayers are with his family and friends. It sounds like you knew Brad AR. It is always hard to lose a good one so early.

Yes, I knew Brad. Kinda of odd how that happened...

 

I used to be the designer and web site admin for a Boston discussion board. Through it, I met Brad's ex-wife Micki and his kids, Jen and John Michael, and his best friend, Bill Faulkner. Later, I became friends with his fiancee, Pam. Brad did not participate on the board, although those same folks tried to get him to drop a line every once in a while.

 

Despite those contacts, Brad and I met due to the fact we are - were - both Beatles fanatics, and ended up at a Beatles-related event together. It was pretty funny - we both knew of each other through those other folks, so when we met it was almost as if we'd known each other for a few years. Oddly enough, we never discussed Boston - I don't want to rehash everything here, but suffice it to say that Boston is not the most harmonious bands to have ever existed. Brad and I always ended up discussing the Beatles.

 

Odd feeling - I just cleared his email address out of my list of contacts. Hard to believe we won't be discussing the Fab Four ever again...

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Sad, indeed. I suppose it doesn't matter at this point, so I can say that Brad suffered from depression, and took medication to battle it. Trouble is, he hated taking it - he hated taking even asprin. I've been in contact with Micki, his ex-wife, and there were some things going on that had put him in a major depressive episode.

 

What's so sad about it is that Brad didn't have very much self-esteem. This is a guy loved by everyone who met him - and I mean everyone. He had the kind of voice that comes only once a generation, and he was able to pretty much live his live precisely as he wanted.

 

Just goes to show that depression is not something to take lightly...

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