Boston Lead Singer Dead at 55

[Doc]

Brad Delp was found dead at his New Hampshire home. Police have ruled out foul play.

By Tarah Oliver

New Hampshire authorities are investigating the death of Boston lead singer Bradley Delp, who was found dead in his home at the age of 55.

WGIR is reporting that police responded to Delp's residence in the small town of Atkinson for a reported untimely death.

Investigators said Delp was apparently alone at the time of his death, but found no indication of foul play.

Boston had a number of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," and "Foreplay/Long Time."

When not working with Boston, Delp played in a Beatles cover band called Beatlejuice.

Boston was going to rehearse throughout May, then set out on a big tour in June. Delp was also planning to get married to longtime girlfriend Pamela Sullivan this summer.

ah Oliver

[yleekiyote]

A sad day to a great band.

R.I.P. Brad

[GuitarPLYR]

I saw this on the news. This ****s!!!!

[banterman]

Yeah, this is really sad. Brad actually might have been the singer for The Sign had Randy been able to get ahold of him. Randy was hoping to make that happen but he could never get in touch with Brad.

Damn.

[ronbo11]

He and Goodreau always seemed to be the most "fan-friendly" guys in Boston. I am really saddened to hear this news. Delp was a vocalist that you could immediately identify and he, Lou Gramm, and Steve Perry definitley defined the sound of the late 70's AOR sound.

[rushtrader]

I was lucky enough to get to meet Brad and hang out with him for a few hours before and after a Beatlejuice show about 4 years ago. He was amazingly nice and absolutely shocked that I had gone to see him and Doogreau at a show with another band they had that had just gone to a bunch of little dives. I was webcasting that show and doing do I had probably the best seat in the house - between the sound guya dn the light guy. WHen the show was over he came up to me and asked how they show was, how I thought he was, how the sounds was etc, and he was actually interested in the answers.

Anyone who never got a chance to meet him missed out on a great musician with a great heart.

RT

[zebrarette]

I read this in the paper...very sad. I liked Boston. Reminds me of my teenage years growing up on the Westbank....sigh.....yeah...the good old days. RIP Brad. :sad_3:

[rushtrader]

Here is a show of Brad's with Beatle Juice that I have put up on Dime:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=138013

RT

[Don Wishon]

Sad, sad news. Always been a fan from Day 1...Boston, Barry Goudreau, Orion the Hunter, RTZ...rest in peace, Brad.

[GreggFromJoisey]

RIP Brad truly one of the great singers of our time!!!

"they" say that celebs die in 3's.....well we have Brad Delp, then comedian Richard Jeni over the weekend......2 very great talents in their own right. :huh:

[chinarain62]

A sad day to a great band.

R.I.P. Brad



Ditto

[zebralover4ever]

Sadly, his death was a suicide- here's the story....



Family Says Delp's Death Was Suicide
Wed Mar 14, 5:52 PM


CONCORD, N.H. - The family of Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, said his death was a suicide. "He was a man who gave all he had to give to everyone around him, whether family, friends, fans or strangers," the family said in a statement relayed by police Wednesday. "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, died Friday at his Atkinson home.

Toxicology tests by the state medical examiner's office showed that Delp committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, said Lt. William Baldwin. Police said Delp had sealed himself inside a bathroom with two charcoal grills sometime between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday afternoon, when he was found by fiancee Pamela Sullivan.

Delp also left two notes taped to a door and letters to his family and Sullivan. Baldwin said police do not know the contents of the letters.

The family's statement said Sullivan, Delp's children and their mother, Delp's ex-wife Micki Delp, were grateful for the sympathy they had received.

Delp joined Boston in the mid-1970s and sang two of its biggest hits, "More than a Feeling" and "Long Time."

He had planned to marry Sullivan this summer during a break in a tour with Boston. A lifelong Beatles fan, Delp also played with the tribute band Beatle Juice.

Beatle Juice performed a benefit last year to help build a new public library in Atkinson, a small town of about 6,000 residents on the Massachusetts border.

The family said last week it planned a private funeral followed by a public memorial to be scheduled later.

[DJ Dale]

This is terrible! He was awesome....

[GreggFromJoisey]

Did you get that from www.melodicrock.com? also on today's site was a touching interview with Tom Scholz, I'll paste the link here. RIP BRAD!

Tom Scholtz talks to Rolling Stone Magazine about Brad: www.bandboston.com.

[Don Wishon]

This is terrible! He was awesome....

Agreed.

[zebralover4ever]

Did you get that from www.melodicrock.com? also on today's site was a touching interview with Tom Scholz, I'll paste the link here. RIP BRAD!

Tom Scholtz talks to Rolling Stone Magazine about Brad: www.bandboston.com.

It was an AP report off of the entertainment section of my ISP homepage. Thanks for the link to melodicrock. The interview & posts on Brad's tribute page are very touching. What a great loss....RIP Brad Delp.

[chinarain62]

This is terrible! He was awesome....

Agreed here as well. What a damn shame.

[zebralover4ever]

Delp Suicide Note: 'I Am a Lonely Soul'
Thu Mar 15, 10:18 PM


ATKINSON, N.H. - Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston who killed himself last week, left behind a note in which he called himself "a lonely soul," according to police reports released Thursday.

The note was paper-clipped to the neck of Delp's shirt when police found his body at his Atkinson home, on the bathroom floor, his head on a pillow. He had sealed himself inside with two charcoal grills; toxicology tests showed he had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Mr. Brad Delp. J'ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul," the note read.

Delp joined Boston in the mid-1970s and sang two of its biggest hits, "More than a Feeling" and "Long Time." He was cremated Wednesday, after a private funeral earlier in the week.

His fiancee, Pamela Sullivan, called police March 9 after noticing a dryer vent tube connected to the exhaust pipe of Delp's car. In the garage, police found a note taped to the door leading into the house.

"To whoever finds this I have hopefully committed suicide. Plan B was to asphyxiate myself in my car."

In another note on a door at the top of the stairs, Delp cautioned that there was carbon monoxide inside.

"I take complete and sole responsibility for my present situation. I have lost my desire to live," he wrote. The note also included instructions on how to contact his fiancee: "Unfortunately she is totally unaware of what I have done."

Police later found four sealed letters in an office addressed to Sullivan, his children, their mother, Micki Delp, and another couple whose identity was not disclosed. Police Lt. William Baldwin said police gave the letters to family members without reading them.

Sullivan told police that Delp "had been depressed for some time, feeling emotional (and) bad about himself," according to the reports.

He had planned to marry Sullivan this summer during a break in a tour with Boston. A lifelong Beatles fan, Delp also played with the tribute band Beatle Juice.

[DJ Dale]

I'm still in shock and speachless over this.

I have not been so bugged about a singers death since Freddie Mercury...

[GreggFromJoisey]

OK maybe this belongs on "polls" but who are your fave Male, and your fave female "TOP 5" singers

For me in order
Stevie Wonder
Steve Walsh (Kansas)
Brad Delp (Boston)
Tommy Shaw (Styx)
Joe Lynn Turner

Top Female:
Pat Benatar
??? from Evanescence
Ronnie Spector
Debby Harry
Carole King

[Doc]

I agree with you 100%

It belongs on polls!!

[Doorman]

The fact that his death was a suicide really ****s.
Depression is very treatable and it is so sad that such a great talent should fall into the depths....Having been on that dark side myself......
I have this whole opinion on people with artistic genius, whether literary, poetic, musical, etc... they all have this "inner angst" that is always with them. (Difficult to really explain but some of you may get where I'm coming from) It happens to way too many artists...hey, go listen to "Waiting To Die"..
Anyway, sad and horrible story this week...the thing that upsets me is when the family says "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"
He was TIRED?? We take COMFORT!?!? If you knew all this why didn't you get him the help that would have saved his life....that sort of "family" attitude and denial is how someone ends up "pulling the trigger" on an impulse in this sort of situation...
truly one of musics greatest singer/vocalists.

[zebrarette]

I heard "Let me take you home tonight" the other day and started to cry. Geezzzz....it's been a bad week all the way around...:sad_2:

[banterman]

Anyway, sad and horrible story this week...the thing that upsets me is when the family says "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"
He was TIRED?? We take COMFORT!?!? If you knew all this why didn't you get him the help that would have saved his life....that sort of "family" attitude and denial is how someone ends up "pulling the trigger" on an impulse in this sort of situation...
truly one of musics greatest singer/vocalists.

Yeah, the family's reaction is pretty strange. It definitely seems like SOMEONE around him could have done more to make him realize how much he had going for him. Some people have every reason to take their own life, and persevere. Delp had a lot going for him, even if there were things against him that we're not aware of. I'm sure someone must have cared about Brad enough that they could have shown him the light with a little more proactive-ness.

Meanwhile, did anyone see Tom Sholz's statement at bandboston.com and the bullshit "exclusive interview" Rolling Stone magazine created out of it by inserting questions into Tom's text? What a bunch of fakes.

In case anyone missed my prev. post, Randy had originally wanted Delp to be the singer for The Sign, but couldn't get a hold of him. I wonder what Randy's reaction is to this, seeing as Delp was someone he wanted in his band.

[banterman]

Also, when I heard this news I thought of a recent Delp-Goudreau tune called "What You Leave Behind" which seems an appropriate swansong for Brad. I noticed that Barry Goudreau (fellow Boston and RTZ member) posted this song along with his tribute to Brad at http://barrygoudreau.com, and I recommend checking it out if you haven't heard it.

[Don Wishon]

In case anyone missed my prev. post, Randy had originally wanted Delp to be the singer for The Sign, but couldn't get a hold of him. I wonder what Randy's reaction is to this, seeing as Delp was someone he wanted in his band.

I will not speak for Randy, but Randy and I had a conversation about Pete Ham and Tommy Evans of Badfinger...as Randy had performed a couple of shows with Joey Molland and he knows that Badfinger is one of my favorite bands. If I am remembering correctly, Randy called Pete and Tommy's suicides cowardly acts.

[banterman]

I will not speak for Randy, but Randy and I had a conversation about Pete Ham and Tommy Evans of Badfinger...as Randy had performed a couple of shows with Joey Molland and he knows that Badfinger is one of my favorite bands. If I am remembering correctly, Randy called Pete and Tommy's suicides cowardly acts.

I can see Randy's point of view re: Pete Ham and Tommy Evans, but I tend to think that these guys maybe have seen darker places than many of us.

[J.B.]

Here is a show of Brad's with Beatle Juice that I have put up on Dime:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=138013

RT

RT,

Thanks for the juice! Tastes good!