Today we will tell you about Brad Delp who is known, among other things, as the lead singer and guitarist of "Boston".
(Photo: Chris Walter)
Brad Delp was a lead singer, guitarist, and one of the founders of "Boston" who participated in all of the band's albums.
The band's latest album, released after his death, also included recordings of his voice.
Brad together with Tom Schultz, formed the very unique sound on which "Boston" was based on. he participated in the band's hits such as: "More Than a Feeling", "Foreplay / Long Time", "Peace of Mind", "Amanda" and more.
Delp was born on June 12, 1951, in Peabody, Massachusetts, USA as Bradley Edward Delp. His parents were immigrants from Canada.
In 1969 guitarist Barry Goudreau arranged for Delp to meet Tom Scholz who was just looking for a singer for an emerging band.
The three formed the band "Mother's Milk" which operated from 1973 to 1974 and later changed its name to "Boston", with the three serving as the core of the band.
Schultz was a multi-instrumentalist who was considered a musical and technical genius. He was a student at MIT, worked for an electronics company, and built a studio for himself in the basement of his home, where the three recorded the demos that would become Boston's debut album. Read more about the excellent album here.
(Photo: Ron Pownall)
This album was released in 1976 and became one of the most successful debut albums of all time with sales of over 20 million copies. Delp was responsible for the album's all-unique vocals and the incredible vocal harmonies that became the band's hallmark. Not only that, but Delp helped Schultz write the song "Smokin'", and wrote the song that sealed the album "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" on his own and even played it on acoustic guitar.
It's inconceivable but Delp is responsible for all the singing roles in the band, including the background vocals and all the vocal harmonies. He has a voice that touches the sky and penetrates the bones. A very distinctive voice that sometimes overshadows even the rest of the instruments in the band.
But Delp is definitely not just a singer. He also plays guitar, keyboards, and harmonica and has written songs not only for "Boston" but also for artists like Orion the Hunter, Lisa Guyer, and others.
Also on the band's second excellent album "Don't Look Back" from 1978, Delp contributed to writing one song in collaboration with Schultz ("Party") and wrote one song himself - "Used to Bad News".
After these two albums, Delp participated in the first solo album of band member Barry Goudreau which was released in 1980.
For "Boston's" third album "Third Stage" from 1986, Delp brought two songs "Cool the Engines" and "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)/Still in Love", both of which were played quite a bit on radio stations.
In 1991, Delp and Goudreau formed the band "RTZ". From that moment on Delp was no longer a permanent member of "Boston" and his successor was singer Fran Cosmo. At the same time, Delp continued to be a guest on the band's albums, "Corporate America" from 2002 and "Life, Love & Hope" from 2013, which were released after his death.
In parallel with his work with "RTZ", Delp participated in a side band that played cover songs for the Beatles and was called "Beatlejuice".
In 2003, Delp and his former Boston friend Goudreau released the album "Delp and Goudreau".
On March 9, 2007, Delph was found dead in his home shower in Atkinson, New Hampshire.
He committed suicide by inhaling smoke. A hose from his car was connected through the vent of the tumble dryer, and two grills with smoky coals were placed in the bathroom. Brad left a farewell letter for his children and associates, with the suicide note attached to the lapel of his shirt that read "I am a lonely soul," or originally: "Mr. Brad Delp. 'I am a solitaire.' I am a lonely soul."
Opinions are divided as to the reasons for Delp's suicide, some attributing them to his murky relationship with the band's leader Tom Schultz, who even sued the "Boston Herald" for the publicity that allegedly attributed to Delp's suicide. Schultz lost the lawsuit and on June 1, 2013, was required to pay the newspaper $ 132,000 in expenses after the court dismissed the lawsuit and ruled that there was no libel here since it is not possible to determine what led Delp to commit suicide.
Whatever the reason, this is a sad reminder of the heavy price that the music industry sometimes charges such talented artists, who sometimes cannot cope with its success and consequences.
Take a few moments and listen a little to the beautiful music created by Delp and his friends in Boston. Here.