Brad Delp

Bradley Edward Delp (June 12, 1951 – March 9, 2007) was an American singer and musician who was the original lead vocalist of the American rock band Boston. A Massachusetts native, Delp began collaborating with leader Tom Scholz in 1970, and was the band's longtime lead singer across various stints from 1975 until his suicide in 2007. Delp is best known for his lead vocals on the albums Boston (1976), Don't Look Back (1978) and Third Stage (1986). He performed in every Boston concert tour prior to his death. Delp was known for his "unique and soulful singing" and vocal range.

Delp was born in Peabody, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1951, to French-Canadian immigrant parents and raised in Danvers, Massachusetts.

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), which included Delp and Goudreau. After the band produced a demo, they were signed by Epic Records. Mother's Milk was renamed Boston.

The band's debut album, Boston, was released in August 1976. With over 17 million copies sold, the album ranks as one of the best-selling debut albums in U.S. history. The band was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The album spawned three singles, "More Than a Feeling", "Long Time", and "Peace of Mind", all of which made the Hot 100's top 40. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and remained on the charts for 132 weeks.

Boston was followed by Don't Look Back (1978), and Third Stage (1986). "Amanda", the lead single from Third Stage, went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequent singles "We're Ready" and "Can'tcha Say" reached numbers nine and 20, respectively.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.