Boston Founder Brad Delp, 55, Found Dead in New Hampshire

from Playfuls.com

Bradley E. Delp, the founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Boston, was found dead Friday in his New Hampshire home by police responding to an emergency call for help. Delp, 55, apparently was home alone and there was no indication of foul play, Atkinson, New Hampshire, police said to the press.

The cause of death is under investigation by the Atkinson, N.H., police and the local medical examiner's office and a report is to be released Monday, A.P. reported.

The official Web site for the band was taken down and replaced with the statement: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

http://www.bandboston.com/

In 1970, Brad Delp was making heating elements for Mr. Coffee machines at Danvers company Hot-Watt when he met Boston founder Tom Scholz, guitarist Barry Goudreau and drummer Jim Masdea while playing in a cover band. Delp auditioned as lead vocalist for Boston, and got the job immediately.

He also contributed back-up vocals, guitar, and keyboards on the Boston albums, and also played the harmonica. His partnership with guitarist Tom Scholz led to a string of hit songs. Tom Scholz was an MIT engineering graduate who worked at Polaroid at the time. Boston's best-known works include the singles "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," "Foreplay/Long Time," "Don't Look Back," "Smokin'" and "Amanda."

"Boston," which sold more than 17 million copies, remains the No. 1 selling debut album in U.S. history, UPI reports.

Later, Delp played in a Beatles cover band called Beatlejuice when he had time off from the band. He was scheduled to perform with Beatlejuice in Somerville, Massachusetts, on the day he died. Beatlejuice has canceled its upcoming shows in the wake of Delp's death.

Delp was married to Micki Delp and had two children with her prior to their divorce. Delp had been a vegetarian for over thirty years and had contributed to a number of charitable causes. Delp was set to marry longtime girlfriend Pamela Sullivan during a two day break in Boston's 2007 summer tour.

He is survived by a daughter, Jenna, and a son, John Michael, both by his divorced wife Micki Delp. He was set to marry longtime girlfriend Pamela Sullivan during a two day break in Boston's 2007 summer tour.

Sorry to see him go! I was into a few Boston songs over the years. Awesome band.

Boston Lead Singer's Death Ruled As Suicide
Friday March 16, 2007 @ 02:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Brad Delp
Boston fans received some unexpected news last week with the announcement of Brad Delp's death.
Delp was found on March 9 in his Atkinson, New Hampshire home by his fiancée, Pamela Sullivan. Toxicology tests taken by the state medical examiner revealed that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death. As a result, Delp's death was ruled as a suicide. Police reported that the singer holed himself up in his bathroom with two charcoal grills sometime between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday afternoon.
The 55-year-old lead singer placed two notes on the door, warning family members of the carbon monoxide whirling around inside the house. The other message is said to be a suicide note. It read, "Mr. Brad Delp. J'ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul." Sullivan told police Delp "had been depressed for some time, feeling emotional and bad about himself."
Upon hearing the news, the official Boston website replaced its homepage with a statement that says, "We've lost the nicest guy in rock and roll." It now shows a letter written by Boston founding member Tom Scholz that he wrote to RollingStone.com telling them about the first time he met Delp.
Delp was cremated on Wednesday and the family is planning a private funeral for later this week with a public memorial scheduled to follow afterwards. In addition to Sullivan, Delp is also survived by his ex-wife, Micki Delp, and their two children. He planned to marry Sullivan this summer during a break in Boston's tour, which has now been cancelled.
Boston enjoyed some mainstream success in the '70s with their hits "More Than A Feeling" and "Long Time." Their self-titled debut album sold more than 17 million copies, making it one of the top best selling albums in U.S. history.
—Antoinette Mercurio