I was not sure how to title this post. I was not sure whether to write it at all. After all, this site is about fitness, health, overcoming challenges, maximizing your potential and so many other things. This is not a site about Rock ‘n Roll. But that doesn’t matter, because on 03-10-07 the world woke up only to discover it had lost one if the greatest signature voices in all of music just the day before. Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston, unexpectedly left us.
I cannot bring myself to say, “Brad Delp, Lead Singer of Boston, Dead at 55″. I just can’t.
No one ever really dies. Not really. We just move on. We basically take on new forms, with new understandings and new challenges. Life does indeed go on. Still, for those of us left behind, for those of us left to deal with the aftermath of having to say goodbye to a loved one, it hurts like hell.
The passing of Brad Delp caught us all by surprise. While Brad Delp was not a family member of mine, his passing is surprisingly painful to me. Maybe that is because, though he was not a relative, he nevertheless was a loved one of mine. His music meant so much to me, to so many of us. His tragic passing is all the more painful to me because I recently found out that Bradley Delp and Tom Scholtz were gearing up for a new album, with a strong likelihood that Barry Goudreau, one of the founding members of Boston, could be joining them along side Tom as one of the two lead guitarists for the band. In effect, Boston would have been reunited. The result would have rivalled that of The Police getting back together.
I am 44 now. I grew up listening to all sorts of music. I love good rock ‘n roll. I still do. Singing is one of my joys, and were it not for the unpredictable challenges inherent to CF, I might have been a vocalist in a band myself. Nobody ever said life was fair. I still love to sing, or course. I love to hear myself sing. So do others whenever I get the nerve to let them hear me. To a large degree, Boston helped shape the voice I have today.
When I was a young teenager, my still-growing vocal chords were trained to Boston’s music. Like many kids my age at that time, I would sing along with Brad whenever I heard Boston on the radio, doing my best to keep pace with Brad’s powerful and soulful vibrato, occasionally hitting those pitch-perfect highs along with Brad, feeling complete emotional catharsis when I did so and, when I failed, an ever increasing determination to hit those high notes the next time I had the chance. Practice makes perfect.
Throughout the years, Boston went through many changes in their lineup. Goudrea left the band. Drummers came and went. At one point, even Brad left the band. Yes, there was trouble in paradise. Yet, Tom Scholtz, the founder, never once left Boston. In reality, Boston was, and is, Tom’s band, not Brads. In fact, Brad Delp had to audition for Boston as the groups lead singer. Of course, destiny and opportunity met that day, whereupon Brad was accepted immediately into Boston as their frontman. From there, the rest is history. How lucky are we, how fortunate are we, that Brad Delp realized his potential and purpose and blessed us all with his gift. How thankful I am to God that He lent Brad to us.
Boston would go on to record some of the most memorable music ever, yet surprisingly Boston was never to be a prolific band. As far as I know, in 30 years Boston released only six albums. Of those albums, their first helped solidify Boston as a super group. That self-titled, ground-breaking album would go on to shape the sound of rock music from the late 70’s to this very day.
Boston had an unmistakable, purely unique signature sound that, thanks to the harmonies of their precise, blistering guitar solos and Brad Delps voice, you simply could not forget. You wouldn’t want to. Whether they were live or not, it did not matter. Boston always sounded stunningly brilliant. Their live shows were nothing short of breathtaking. I am fortunate to have been able to see them live.
Unfortunaletly for us, that voice has been silenced. Without Brad there is no Boston. An era has passed and a flame that meant so much to me when I was growing up has flickered its last. We can now only dream of what would have been had Brad been allowed to remain with us but a little while longer.
So, readers, today I am sad. More than sad. A large part of my life is gone and it feels strange. As I type this I can here the birds outside ushering in the warmth of spring, but it is hard to listen to those birds knowing that one of our own songbirds has moved on. Thankfully, Brad’s voice will live on in songs like “Rock n Roll Band, “Long Time”, “More That A Feeling”, “Peace of Mind” “Don’t Look Back” and more. But it’s the “more” that causes me the most frustration. Brad was only 55. His voice still incredibly strong and pure. There was more, so much more, left inside him musically. There was so much more he was going to give us.
We all could have had so much more and I am pissed off that now we won’t. Like the rest of you, I will have to walk my own journey until my own road calls me home. Until that happens, I will have to hold on to the music Brad left behind for all of us to enjoy.
Long may you live Bradley Delp, and kick some Rock n’ Roll ass in heaven for us if you can. We will see you soon.
Our prayers are with Tom, the rest of the band, and of course Brad and his family.
“Don’t look back A new day is breakin’ It’s been too long since I felt this way I don’t mind where I get taken The road is callin’ Today is the day”
I was not sure how to title this post. I was not sure whether to write it at all. After all, this site is about fitness, health, overcoming challenges, maximizing your potential and so many other things. This is not a site about Rock ‘n Roll. But that doesn’t matter, because on 03-10-07 the world woke up only to discover it had lost one if the greatest signature voices in all of music just the day before. Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston, unexpectedly left us.
I cannot bring myself to say, “Brad Delp, Lead Singer of Boston, Dead at 55″. I just can’t.
No one ever really dies. Not really. We just move on. We basically take on new forms, with new understandings and new challenges. Life does indeed go on. Still, for those of us left behind, for those of us left to deal with the aftermath of having to say goodbye to a loved one, it hurts like hell.
The passing of Brad Delp caught us all by surprise. While Brad Delp was not a family member of mine, his passing is surprisingly painful to me. Maybe that is because, though he was not a relative, he nevertheless was a loved one of mine. His music meant so much to me, to so many of us. His tragic passing is all the more painful to me because I recently found out that Bradley Delp and Tom Scholtz were gearing up for a new album, with a strong likelihood that Barry Goudreau, one of the founding members of Boston, could be joining them along side Tom as one of the two lead guitarists for the band. In effect, Boston would have been reunited. The result would have rivalled that of The Police getting back together.
I am 44 now. I grew up listening to all sorts of music. I love good rock ‘n roll. I still do. Singing is one of my joys, and were it not for the unpredictable challenges inherent to CF, I might have been a vocalist in a band myself. Nobody ever said life was fair. I still love to sing, or course. I love to hear myself sing. So do others whenever I get the nerve to let them hear me. To a large degree, Boston helped shape the voice I have today.
When I was a young teenager, my still-growing vocal chords were trained to Boston’s music. Like many kids my age at that time, I would sing along with Brad whenever I heard Boston on the radio, doing my best to keep pace with Brad’s powerful and soulful vibrato, occasionally hitting those pitch-perfect highs along with Brad, feeling complete emotional catharsis when I did so and, when I failed, an ever increasing determination to hit those high notes the next time I had the chance. Practice makes perfect.
Throughout the years, Boston went through many changes in their lineup. Goudrea left the band. Drummers came and went. At one point, even Brad left the band. Yes, there was trouble in paradise. Yet, Tom Scholtz, the founder, never once left Boston. In reality, Boston was, and is, Tom’s band, not Brads. In fact, Brad Delp had to audition for Boston as the groups lead singer. Of course, destiny and opportunity met that day, whereupon Brad was accepted immediately into Boston as their frontman. From there, the rest is history. How lucky are we, how fortunate are we, that Brad Delp realized his potential and purpose and blessed us all with his gift. How thankful I am to God that He lent Brad to us.
Boston would go on to record some of the most memorable music ever, yet surprisingly Boston was never to be a prolific band. As far as I know, in 30 years Boston released only six albums. Of those albums, their first helped solidify Boston as a super group. That self-titled, ground-breaking album would go on to shape the sound of rock music from the late 70’s to this very day.
Boston had an unmistakable, purely unique signature sound that, thanks to the harmonies of their precise, blistering guitar solos and Brad Delps voice, you simply could not forget. You wouldn’t want to. Whether they were live or not, it did not matter. Boston always sounded stunningly brilliant. Their live shows were nothing short of breathtaking. I am fortunate to have been able to see them live.
Unfortunaletly for us, that voice has been silenced. Without Brad there is no Boston. An era has passed and a flame that meant so much to me when I was growing up has flickered its last. We can now only dream of what would have been had Brad been allowed to remain with us but a little while longer.
So, readers, today I am sad. More than sad. A large part of my life is gone and it feels strange. As I type this I can here the birds outside ushering in the warmth of spring, but it is hard to listen to those birds knowing that one of our own songbirds has moved on. Thankfully, Brad’s voice will live on in songs like “Rock n Roll Band, “Long Time”, “More That A Feeling”, “Peace of Mind” “Don’t Look Back” and more. But it’s the “more” that causes me the most frustration. Brad was only 55. His voice still incredibly strong and pure. There was more, so much more, left inside him musically. There was so much more he was going to give us.
We all could have had so much more and I am pissed off that now we won’t. Like the rest of you, I will have to walk my own journey until my own road calls me home. Until that happens, I will have to hold on to the music Brad left behind for all of us to enjoy.
Long may you live Bradley Delp, and kick some Rock n’ Roll ass in heaven for us if you can. We will see you soon.
Our prayers are with Tom, the rest of the band, and of course Brad and his family.
…and finally…. from LonWpnX