Black Face

April 24, 2012 at 4:01am

Being in the practice of Medicine and treating people with major depressive disorders I now see Brad's world very differently than when I was a young kid listening to Boston when they first came out in 1976. Now, when I listen closely to what Brad was writing about, I hear the voice of a young man truly struggling with depression, insecurity and persistent fragility along with manic highs. I may be reading into his lyrics too much, but many of those lyrics strike me as being such. Hitch a ride to the other side? A Man I Will Never Be? Those are rather sad songs and now him being dead from suicide, it is not hard for me to put it together; and those songs are chilling. His many happy lyrics are very uplifting but also strike me as being on a personal manic high. The use of drugs and alcohol only exacerbated poor Brad's struggle with reality and stability. I love all of his work and miss him greatly. This may be a reminder for those who we love who suffer from similar challenges just how fragile they are at times and not give up on them. God Bless Brad and our loved ones too.

BostonRules

January 11, 2012 at 7:34pm

@kflsm You are utterly rude and disrespectful. Why is there always someone like this on every message broad?
Hopefully you are just a fan who was very upset by Brad's death. It is always a shock when someon who has everything,or so it appears, does something like this, like Owen Wilson's suicide attempt.

In one way it is mind blowing that someone with such phenomenal success decided life wasn't worth it anymore. If these people who attained unfathomable success in the world can't make it, what does that say to the rest of us. Just give up? For fans It could be seen as the ultimate FU as we struggle in anonymity while he had everything a man could possible want(materially) and this wasn't good enough for him.

However, we must realize he just had a hidden illness,one as serious and deadly as cancer, depression, which unlike cancer is not always taken seriously by MDs, family & friends, and the media. Make no mistake, this man has suffering from a physical disease process, its been found with cutting edge technology that those suffering from bipolar have seizures that are invisible. There have been several notable cases in which people with epilepsy have had a religious experience of pure joy, one-ness with the universe, and inspiration after a series of seizures. It is thought at shamans and figures of the part may have had such similar exeriences-Joan of Arc is the most famous one. The inspiration in the face of total hopelessness, which could be viewed as the opposite of depression, which is a lingering malaise despite having enough and even having unbelievable success.

This is a tragedy, but hopefully all his fans will realize that their family members could be at risk, and that depression shouldn't be taken lightly. Rip Brad

Hollocron

October 11, 2011 at 2:50am

This is probably the saddest story I've ever heard. I'm in college now, but the only music I listen to is Classic Rock and Blues. I've always liked Boston, but recently I've recently really started listening to them and they've become my favorite band. I knew Brad Delp had died young, but I never knew he had committed suicide. He sounds so optimistic and happy in his recordings and looks so content in pictures. He must have been trying so hard to cover up the pain. It makes me wonder how many people out there are putting on a mask when deep down they are in hopeless despair. Listening to Boston's upbeat, 100% pure Rock and Roll has helped me through so much in life.

Brad, I know you're gone and you'll never read this, but why couldn't you have held on a little tighter like you told millions of your fans to do in A Man I'll Never Be. If I could go back in time, I'd go back to the day that you killed yourself and tell you what a grievous blow it would be to the world. Millions of people took heart to you and your music. You've inspired so many to drag themselves out of the gutter. Why couldn't you have done the same for yourself? There WAS a light at the end of the tunnel, but maybe it was a little bit obscured from where you were standing. After hearing your bittersweet story, your music is going to mean so much more to me. Thanks dude, for giving this messed up world a little piece of perfection.

Rest in peace, brother.

Skippin

June 16, 2011 at 1:13am

To kflsm. Your one mean rude price of shit. Brad was no coward. He was one of the best rock vocalists that this world will ever hear sing, so why don't you do us all a favor and keep your hateful comments to yourself and go hang yourself. Seems to me like YOUR the only coward in this entire post!!! Rest in peice Brad. You will be forever missed.

kflsm

May 24, 2011 at 12:27pm

Brad Delp was at the top of his career. He offed himself.

Rock didn't lose a great musician... What happened was a loser ran away from a great life. He killed himself.

Brad Delp was a coward. He deserves neither accolades nor remembrance.

He should not be congratulated for his accomplishments, because he threw it away. He should not be discussed, because he took himself away from life.

Brad Delp is dead by his own hand. He consigned himself to oblivion... Leave him there and get on with your own life. Don't be a loser like that nobody.

carl81

April 14, 2011 at 1:43am

I am probably a little older than many/most on this site. I saw Boston while I was in college, at the height of their popularity in the late 70s, while their albums were still on the charts.

I was impressed by Brad's incredible voice and range. One assumes that given his meteoric rise to fame and continued popularity over the years, he had everything to live for. Sadly, chemical imbalances in the brain distort reality and lead to tragedies such as the suicides of people like Brad Delp, Freddie Prinze Sr., and many others.

It is a shame that Brad's depression wasn't effectively treated. In addition to his many fans, it's apparent that he left behind a fiancé, his children, and other family and friends who were devastated by his death.

To those of you who suffer chronic depression, PLEASE get help. It shouldn't have to end this way...

andyman58

August 07, 2009 at 12:36am

Here it is 2009, and I'm just finding out about this; wow, what a bummer! Brad had probably the hottest lead vocals in all of rock history (in my opinion); multi talented yet obviously so out of touch with himself and reality. This is so sad; I grieve for his family, his fans and those left behind that he meant so much to.

God bless

Fred2420 (not verified)

October 07, 2008 at 5:09pm

The Man I'LL Never BE. He was trying to be what someone else dreamed, "but it just keeps getting harder everyday for me" I cant stop listening to him sing that beautiful song, yet he is pleading for the understanding that it will never be. Brad-- Thank You for sharing yourself with us as long as you could. Fred Stankus

thebernreuter

June 07, 2008 at 1:18am

The other day I decided to go back and revisit "More Than a Feeling" as a cover song. "What was that band? It was Boston probably, or maybe REO Speedwagon? Maybe Foreigner? No wait; it was Boston."

The last band I was in wanted to cover the song for a looming gig, but I, stricken with then-undiagnosed bipolar II and anxiety disorder, took one listen and decided it would be impossible to learn in time, and made a mental note that we would probably never be able to play it. It was so complex in structure, and those vocals. God, those vocals. . .

Six years later, classically trained as a counter tenor, and properly medicated, I can enjoy music again and embrace challenges. But I can't understand all the words. "More than a feeling/ da da da da da da, , ," was what I had been doing for years; it was time for the lyrics.

To BostonBand.com . No lyrics, but an upcoming tour. They're coming to Atlanta; sweet! But nothing else on the site at all. Weird. . . to wikipedia. . .

Intense band biography; lots of infighting and such. Typical when 30 years pass and significant money is split amongst different people; amicable relations a la Rush throughout a career are rare. People are people, flaws and all.

Then I come to the part about the death of the lead singer. "Shit," I think aloud, "No point in seeing them now. What a voice. I wonder what happened?"

Then I read this story. Oh. My. God. He killed himself. I almost did that. That could have been me. Thank goodness for my friends and family; I teetered on the edge for months.

The pain was so unbearable, yet so nonsensical. Sometimes I fretted about real problems, sometimes stupid things, sometimes delusional things, sometimes I didn't even know what I was thinking; I just knew it had to stop. But I also thought about everyone around me. As low as I got, I was still able to allow, at least for the sake of argument, that I maybe was worth something to some people, and that killing myself would be pretty selfish. It would probably hurt people. This notion made me feel worse; guilty for even thinking about doing it, guilty about doubting other people's love for me, guilty about wanting out so badly. Also trapped; painful for me to live, painful for others if I die. The epitome of rock vs. hard place. Then more guilt, for indirectly thinking of loved ones as a trap.

What to do? How to exit this world without leaving behind a wake of grief, anger, frustration, and confusion. When I was really nuts, I actually thought about killing everybody else first, for just a second, and then realizing how psychotic that was made me feel like the scum of the earth. I felt so awful I didn't move for 2 or 3 hours.

But when I wasn't nutso, I would try leaving notes. Trying to explain things to everyone, in a neat and tidy way, so that I could go and everyone else would get it, and everything would be peachy. But that always failed. No such note exists. I always ended up ripping it up, putting the pills or gun or whatever away, and curling up into a ball; tweaked to oblivion, but cognizant enough of the world around me to know that I could not do it, to myself or anyone else.

That is what is supposed to happen. Psychology has taught me that the note-writing process typically causes people to abandon their plots. That's why suicide notes are so rare; usually people that are rational enough to consider leaving a note are able to get it together in time to save themselves.

But sometimes this happens instead.

What an emotional story this is. Without even reading all of the notes, you can just tell what was going on. He was trying so hard to ease everyones' suffering; to tie up all loose ends; to apologize. He even protected his cat. But despite all the compassion and love he felt, something inside him hurt so bad that he wanted to die. His judgement was clouded a little too much for him to make sense of everything, and in the end he lost the battle.

What a loss. Never mind the music; Brad Delp was obviously a very loving and very loved human being. Overall this just serves as a reminder to keep an eye on your loved ones and take their problems seriously. His decision does not make sense, but that's the essence of mental disease or disorder: a perception of reality that is incongruous with the one most commonly accepted by the rest of the world. Make every effort to head this off at the pass. Remember that though the problems may be insignificant or even imaginary, sometimes the pain is very, very real, and everyone deserves the chance to get the help they need.

Rest in peace, Brad Delp. I don't thing anyone will ever sing "More Than a Feeling" the same way again.

perrorojo

March 02, 2008 at 2:35am

Man that guy could sing..........

"More than a feeling" and "a man i'll never be" best Boston songs.

The music lives on forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RedDog

haimona

January 13, 2008 at 12:03am

Gutted! Rock has lost another of it's greatest vocalists. I love hundreds of songs, but More Than a Feeling is my absolute favourite. A sad way to go for such a legendary singer... just like Freddie Mercury, he is irreplaceable.

RonSullivan

May 23, 2007 at 1:12pm

I'm a 45yr old male that is experiencing what it feels like to be without someone in the world that is solely responsible for how I look at life. The group Boston has always made me feel like I had meaning, especially when I was so scared about life in the late 70's. I found the group on the radio and they immediately became my favorite for life. Still, to this day, I listen to More Than a Feeling, and all of the obvious others, with passion and excitement while driving everywhere I go. They aren't the only group I listen to, but they are by far, the best of all the rock groups. The composition, clearity, originality, and meaning have come together to produce what I call my inner self. I reflect back on the first concert I ever went to. It was in the Winter of 79 in front of the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Camping out all night, waiting for chance to have a good ticket the next day. Can't believe that Brad has left us, I can't imagine what he must have been going through. For the first time in my life, I actually cried last night for someone I didn't know personally. For a 45 year old guy to cry like I did, in front of my wife, in the computer room, my feeling about the situation explains my loss.

I was going to check out tickets for the 2007 tour when I found out. I could not believe that I never heard about Brad. I would like to speak to Pamela someday, just to let her know how much he changed my outlook on life as a teenager.

I write this note as a tribute to the best band ever constructed. I'll always have a special place in my mind for the most talented, influential and insightful person in my life.

To Brad: Smoke, like water, runs inside.

I forgive you, and hope that your families loss is not too much to bear.

Your greatest fan,
Ron Sullivan
1009 Linden Loop
Cedar Park, TX
78613

ronsullivan@austin.rr.com

mcbuzzed

May 06, 2007 at 11:04am

in the june issue gw pronounces the fab faux "the greatest beatles tribute ever". what about brad delps band beatlejuice? i had the honor of seeing them a couple of times and they were incredible and yet not even a mention. shame on you guitar world

billpillsbury

May 02, 2007 at 9:09am

Some call it Morbid...Some call it curiosity. Either way. I have to say that reporting the "Real Deal" as to how our talented dead Rock stars/heroes has always been clouded in mytery and will always seem to be a mystery...Swept under the rug if you will.
I have to applaud this article on Brad because after hearing and appreciating his talent for many years...I feel like I almost know him. He sang with his heart.(Amanda, Home Tonight, etc.). To put any rampant rumours to rest, it is responsible journalism to "Tell it like it is!". I shed a tear today after reading this article and immediately put on all my "Paid For" downloaded Boston songs! Damn he was talented! How did he sing so high??! Brad Delp...R.I.P. my brother in Rock. You are loved.
BillPillsbury..Atlanta

Chris Chaltry

April 29, 2007 at 10:55pm

I was lucky enough to have seen Brad with Boston on their tour in 2006. He was one of a kind and will be missed my all. His unique voice helped to make Boston a very special band. May God be with you, Brad.

rubysoho

April 28, 2007 at 2:26am

is it just me or does the title of this story seem really disrespectful?

penguin777

April 27, 2007 at 7:48pm

Just found out when I registered today. I don't know what to say. Lost a good musician and it looks like a hell of a guy. Depression is some bad shit. We all get it from time to time. We all got to remember there is people that care about our dumb asses.