Brad Delp

Brad Delp
Background information
Born	June 12, 1951(1951-06-12) Danvers, Massachusetts, United States
Died	March 9, 2007(2007-03-09) (aged 55) Atkinson, New Hampshire, United States
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Musician, Singer-Songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards
Years active	1969–2007
Labels	Epic, MCA, Artemis
Associated acts	Boston, RTZ, Beatlejuice
Website	Bandboston.com

Bradley E. Delp (June 12, 1951 – March 9, 2007) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Boston. Delp was known for his vocal histrionics, and especially his high range.

Early life

Delp was born on June 12, 1951 in Danvers, Massachusetts to French-Canadian immigrants. While his father played the fiddle at home, Delp was inspired after seeing the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and he began learning to play the guitar. However, he had to take some time off music after suffering from rickets during the summer of 1965. He saw the Beatles perform live at Suffolk Downs in East Boston on August 18, 1966. In 1968, Delp discovered the music of a local group from Worcester called Orpheus and became a life long fan, calling them his "favorite band - second only to The Beatles". Delp was greatly influenced by the vocal harmonies and rich arrangements of Orpheus' leader, Bruce Arnold and claimed to have locked himself in his bedroom for several days in order to learn all the guitar and vocal parts from the group's debut album. In 1969 Delp was making heating elements for Mr. Coffee machines at the Danvers company Hot-Watt when he met Boston founding members Tom Scholz, Barry Goudreau and Jim Masdea.

Musical career

Delp while playing for his band Beatlejuice

Ice sculpture at a tribute show after Delp's death

In 1969, guitarist Barry Goudreau introduced Delp to Tom Scholz, who was looking for a singer to complete some demo recordings. Eventually Scholz formed the short-lived band Mother's Milk (1973–74), including Delp and Goudreau. After much toiling and retweaking of tracks these demos were shopped, to considerable disdain^{[citation needed]}, but Epic Records eventually signed the act. Mother's Milk was renamed Boston, and the eponymous debut album - recorded in 1975, although many tracks had been written years before - was released in August 1976. Delp performed all of the lead and backing vocals, including all layered vocal overdubs. He was a keen perfectionist, and often recorded many vocal tracks before choosing the best take for a particular track.

Boston's debut release has sold more than 18 million copies, and produced future rock standards such as "More Than a Feeling", "Foreplay/Long Time" and "Peace of Mind". Delp co-wrote "Smokin'" along with Scholz, and wrote the album's closing track, "Let Me Take You Home Tonight".

Their next album, Don't Look Back, was released two years later, in August 1978. Its release spawned new hits such as the title track, "Party" (a sequel of sorts to "Smokin'"), and the poignant ballad "A Man I'll Never Be". As they did with "Smokin'", Delp and Scholz again collaborated on "Party", and Delp penned "Used To Bad News".

Scholz's legendary perfectionism and a legal battle with their record company stalled any further albums until 1986, when the band released the appropriately titled Third Stage. Delp and Scholz were the only two original members, with several new members involved in the production.

Another hiatus between albums forced Delp to part ways with Scholz in 1991 to form a new band called RTZ, but the two eventually reunited in 1994 for another major Boston tour. Delp continued to record vocals on several albums/projects, as well as some new tracks for Boston's 1997 Greatest Hits compilation and their 2002 release Corporate America.

Though well known for his "golden" voice with soaring vocals and range, Delp was also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, harmonica and keyboards. Additionally he wrote or co-wrote several songs for Boston and many other artists.

From the mid-1990s until his death in 2007, Delp also played in a side project when he had time off from Boston - a Beatles tribute band called Beatlejuice. The Beatles had always been a personal favorite of Delp, and he revered them for their songwriting. During this period Delp also reunited with Boston bandmate Barry Goudreau for the 2003 release "Delp and Goudreau".

Personal life

Delp was twice married and divorced, and had two children by his second wife. He was a vegetarian for over 30 years, and contributed to a number of charitable causes. He was set to marry Pamela Sullivan, his girlfriend of seven years, at the time of his death.

Death

On March 9, 2007, Brad Delp was found dead at the age of 55 in his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire, from the smoke of two charcoal grills he lit inside his sealed master bathroom. Delp was found by police and his fiancée Sullivan, lying on a pillow on his bathroom floor. Delp left private notes to his fiancee, Sullivan, and all his family members, and a public note paper-clipped to his shirt that read: "Mr. Brad Delp. "J'ai une ame solitaire". I am a lonely soul." The French portion translates as "I have a solitary heart." The official cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning. Delp was known for his considerate nature; he had left a note on the front door and master bedroom door of his house warning that there would be carbon monoxide present. That day, the official website for the band was taken down and replaced with the statement: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll".

A tribute concert featuring his former bandmates was performed on August 19, 2007 - the day after his wedding was to have taken place.

Another posthumous release on which Delp sang was Bruce Arnold's "Orpheus Again" (2010). Arnold said, "He added immeasurably to my music". The songs Delp sings harmony on are "The Love Bite" and a contemporary remake of "Can't Find the Time".

On March 19, 2007, Barry Goudreau released one final song with Delp on vocals titled "Rockin' Away". Recorded in the summer of 2006, it is an autobiography of Delp's music career. The song was a minor hit in early 2008, charting up to #18 on the America's Music ranking of rock radio airplay.

Discography

• Boston (1976)
• Don't Look Back (1978)
• Barry Goudreau (1980)
• Orion the Hunter (1984)
• Third Stage (1986)
• Return to Zero (1991)
• Greatest Hits (Boston) (1997)
• Lost (1998)
• Corporate America (2002)
• Delp and Goudreau (2003)
• Lost and Found (2005)
• Delp and Goudreau (2007) a single titled "Rockin Away"
• Orpheus Again (Bruce Arnold's Orpheus) (2010)

External links

• Brad Delp at the Internet Movie Database
• "Brad Delp". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18312460. Retrieved August 12, 2010.