DOB: June 12, 1951
Date of Death: March 09, 2007
Vocals, Guitar

To anyone that's ever had the pleasure of listening to Brad belt out a tune, it's clearly evident that he was born to sing.  From an average suburban kid with a penchant for music, to the voice of one of the most successful rock bands of all time, Bradley E. Delp always remained true to who he was.  The music business has its share of notorious icons living life on the edge, but Brad lived his life in a different manner... he was often referred to as "the nicest guy in rock and roll." Just about anyone that ever encountered him would agree that the moniker fit this atypical rock star.  The world was graced by this gentle and kind soul for 55 years, but on Friday, March 9, 2007, Brad took his own life, spurning a global shockwave of sadness for all that knew him, as well as those that didn't, but who's lives were touched by the sound of his magnificent voice.

Growing up in Danvers, Massachusetts on Boston's north shore, Brad was bitten by the music bug at the tender age of 13, after seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.  That fateful experience would lead to a long love affair with the British band that would always be a part of his life.  He immediately ran out to buy his first guitar, and went to work at learning to play.  Shortly thereafter, he joined his first band, The Iguanas, a short-lived endeavor that soon morphed into The Monks, a band that Brad played in throughout his high school years.

Upon graduating, Brad honed his unique singing style by performing in various clubs regularly in the early '70's, a welcome respite from his day job, where he worked in a factory making heating coils.  Barry Goudreau, another north shore musician, brought Brad to the attention of Tom Scholz who was recording demo tapes in his basement studio at the time.  It would prove to be one of those serendipitous chance encounters that inevitably changes the course of history.  Tom recalls, “I met Brad, soft spoken and unassuming, when he auditioned in a recording studio outside of Boston one night to sing several songs I had written.  He didn't warm up; he just listened to the prerecorded instrument track once. Then he started to sing. I don't know if it took two seconds or three, but before he finished singing the first line I knew that some guardian angel had just delivered to me one of the best vocalists ever to step up to a microphone!”  He continues, “Then he kept going and I realized he wasn't just one of the best, he was amazing!  High notes I hadn't heard before followed by harmonies, and overdubbed exact duplicate layered tracks, all with ease, all with emotion, and yet all technically precise.  Before we left that night he had rewritten the lyrics and the melody, sung all the vocal parts, and with the magic of his voice turned my stark guitar riff into a song! From that moment on, I only hoped I could write and record music worthy of his attention and interpretation.”

“Brad and I banged our heads against the wall trying to get a break with record companies for five years. During that time he and I did a lot of basement recording; we received absolutely zero recognition locally and complete rejection submitting our demos to national record labels,” Tom remembers, adding, “I think this experience put our future success in perspective as we both realized that after so many years of insult, we were just very lucky to be able to record and play music above ground!”  Their dedication finally paid off, when the two were offered a recording contract with Epic Records.  Released in 1976, the self-titled Boston album was the best-selling debut record of its time, and has sold over 17 million copies to date, the 9th best selling record, ever.

Not only did he possess one of the most recognizable voices in the history of rock music, but Brad Delp also played guitar, keyboards, and harp (harmonica).  In addition to being blessed with those golden vocal chords, he was also a talented songwriter, and wrote or co-wrote with Tom several songs on the first two BOSTON albums, as well as on their fourth effort, Walk On.  Singing lead and all the harmony tracks (4-6 depending on the song) on the first 3 BOSTON albums, Brad's voice became an international treasure, heard around the world on a daily basis.  He also joined in BOSTON's studio efforts for the Greatest Hits and Corporate America releases.

Creating the ethereal vocal masterpieces seemed second nature to Brad.  Tom recollects, “There were soulful notes that pulled you into the song, stratospheric screams and angelic high notes, and after hitting these record breaking notes he'd go back and sing a harmony part above it! He didn't rehearse any of these parts, he could jump back and forth between harmony parts, double tracking parts, and then go back and do it again exactly the same with one tiny change, adjusting all the other singing parts to fit with bionic accuracy.”  The 35 year relationship between the duo grew into one that oftentimes needed no words for communication.  Brad once noted, “Tom and I know each other so well. When we go in the studio there is a little bit of ESP.”  For anyone that's ever listened to Brad in rehearsals, watching him tweak the harmony parts with his band mates was a special treat, he was a true master at his craft.  BOSTON guitarist Gary Pihl says, “Over the thirty years that I knew Brad, he seemed happiest when he was making music.  His enthusiasm for working on our songs never waned.”
 
Brad shared his incredible gift with millions, touring with BOSTON seven times over the course of his career.  He was well known for his innate ability to make everyone that he encountered feel special, as if there were no one else in the room.  His fans rave about what a personable and unpretentious man he was, as do his band mates.  Tom states, “You'd think anyone with this super human talent would be an insufferable egomaniac.  But Brad was just the opposite, and amazingly he remained honestly humble in spite of the incredible star pressure that followed BOSTON's success.”  Drummer Jeff Neal says, “There's not much more that can be said about him that hasn't already been said a million times.  One of the most distinguishable voices in all of popular music, and also one of the nicest, most down to earth guys you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting.  I have never seen anyone who seemed so effortless at what he did, whether it was singing those classic lines from the first album or working a room at a meet-and-greet.”  Gary Pihl adds, "I've been in other bands where we avoided talking to fans. Brad went out of his way to make sure he met everybody, signed all the autographs they wanted and took pictures with any fan who has a camera!  He'd be the last guy to get on the bus at the end of the night because he'd be talking and signing autographs for fans who had waited at the back gate."

Jeff says, “If there were such a thing as a rock & roll university, Brad would have been my first choice for teaching ‘How to be a Rock Icon 101.’   He was self-effacing, kind-hearted and always willing to share the attention.  He also had one of the quickest wits around.”   Kimberley Dahme, BOSTON’s bassist agrees, saying, “I'll never forget the first singing lesson I got from Brad.  I'd just joined the band, and Brad told me to sing my harmony parts like this, ‘Be a girl, sounding like a boy, trying to sound like a girl.’”  Like his angelic voice that was always there, so was his great sense of humor.  Tom says, “Although I rarely remember seeing him in the throws of a good belly laugh, he could keep the people around him in stitches effortlessly, and did so on a daily basis.”  Former BOSTON bass player David Sikes recalls some of the fun he had with Brad on the road, “Fielding Mellish was Brad's registered hotel name on tour. Mine was Stiffle Hawks.  I was also Moe Howard for a while.  Brad and I especially had a lot of fun with these names, we were like two sneaky kids getting away with something.  Brad was a huge movie fan... he could tell you who directed and starred in tons of movies, Woody characters were some of his favorites."

After a hiatus from BOSTON in the early '90's, Brad returned to Scholz's studio to lay some tracks for Corporate America.  Over the years, he lent his songwriting and vocal talents to several projects including the solo album by Barry Goudreau, Orion the Hunter, and RTZ.  Most recently, in 2003 Brad and Barry released their collective effort, Delp and Goudreau.  When not touring with BOSTON, Brad was involved with a Beatles tribute band called Beatlejuice.  Tom claims, "They sounded more like the Beatles than the Beatles did!"  Delp cited the Fab Four as his greatest influence, and had been a huge fan since he first heard them over the airwaves.

Regardless of which band he was performing with, Brad always gave his all to the fans that unquestionably adored him.  He once said, "I never get tired of playing because every show is different.  Wherever you do the show, there's a certain amount of pride because you don't want people to go away disappointed."  Anyone observing the audience's reaction at any given show would see that they never tired of seeing him perform, either.  A few years back, Brad was explaining what it felt like to perform the Beatles songs that he loved so much, stating, “I tell people that it is the only thing that I can do that makes me feel 15 again; it really does.  The BOSTON thing is the only thing I can do that makes me feel 25 again.  At 52, 25 is not that bad an age to be.”  To all the fans that Brad left behind, his legendary voice will always be timeless.

A vegetarian for 38 years, Brad was a compassionate soul who dedicated time and money for various charitable causes that were dear to his heart.  Until the time of his death, he lived in New Hampshire's Merrimac Valley with his fiancée Pamela, who shared his life with him for 7 years.  He is survived by his daughter Jenna, his son John-Michael, numerous family members and close friends, and millions of people who will miss him dearly.

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: November 29, 1951
Guitar

Playing since he was 11, Barry Goudreau was an accomplished guitarist by the time he entered Boston University to study Geology. In the early '70's, he was playing in a band that practiced in an MIT fraternity house. They ran an ad for a keyboard player, which Tom Scholz answered, and a close friendship between he and Barry was born. Goudreau played lead guitar on several of Tom's early demo recordings, and found vocalist Brad Delp in the mid 70's. When Scholz's final demos won a contract with Epic Records in 1976, Barry was Tom's first and immediate choice to join the new band. Barry recalls, "In the early days of the band we had a tremendous camaraderie. It was more fun than you can imagine. At the same time there was tremendous pressure as well. At first all we hoped for was to sell enough records to continue with a musical career." Those hopes manifested into a collective 25 million albums between Boston and Don't Look Back. Goudreau's incredible leads can be heard on "Longtime," "Used to Bad News," "Let Me Take You Home Tonight," and "Don't Look Back." Tom says, "When Barry and I played those harmony parts or battling guitar leads, it felt like we were connected by a "Vulcan mind link." He adds, "I've never seen anyone so dedicated to honing his physical skill with guitar. Watching TV or hanging with some friends, Barry always had his SG in his hands, playing unplugged, silently conditioning his reflexes. He had lightning speed."

Following two tours and two albums with BOSTON, amidst turmoil with the band's managers and record company, Barry and Tom went their separate ways. In 1980, Goudreau released Barry Goudreau with singers Brad Delp and Fran Cosmo, which reached #88 on the Billboard charts. In 1984 he launched Orion The Hunter, joined by Cosmo and Delp again. In 1991 he formed RTZ (Return To Zero), once again with Delp singing lead vocals, releasing a self-titled album the following year. His most recent effort with Brad was in 2003, the self--titled Delp and Goudreau, a release that really showcases their talent.

After Tom Scholz's remastering of the first two BOSTON albums in March 2006, he and Barry reinstated contact after 25 years, rekindling a friendship neither had forgotten. Barry continues to perform on occasion in small venues in the greater Boston area. In the winter months he takes to the ski slopes whenever possible, and during the summer, he hits the water in his Formula powerboat. Barry and his wife live on the north shore of Boston with their son and daughter.

Bio from bandboston.com
More bio details available at barrygoudreau.com

DOB: April 23, 1965
Vocals
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tommy-DeCarlo/127407110692849
Twitter: @TheTommyDeCarlo

Born and raised in Utica, New York, Tommy DeCarlo lived and breathed sports, playing baseball, football and basketball throughout his school years.  He tried out with the Pittsburgh Pirates on two occasions, but never made the team.  He says, “Quite honestly I wasn't good enough, but to get that far was an awesome experience.”  Tommy’s interest in music began in elementary school when he joined the school choir.  He recalls, “Every year I would try out for one of the lead singing solo parts and every year I never got one.  They always told me my voice was too soft.”  Many years later, he would show the world that was not the case.

Tommy started playing piano when he was about 14 years old.  Self-taught, one could usually find him picking out chords on an old upright when he wasn’t playing sports.  He says, “I'd never learn the entire songs...rather just the most popular part of the songs...that used to drive my older brother crazy!”  As far as singing goes, DeCarlo explains, “Well...I truly have to thank Brad Delp for helping me develop that gift. When I first began to listen to BOSTON as a young teenager, I absolutely loved Brad's voice and how he would sing those classic hits whenever there was a BOSTON song on the radio.  It wasn't like I was trying to sing like Brad, it was just that I loved to sing along with him.”

At 22, a summer vacation in Florida turned into an 18-year stay, until the DeCarlo family relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2005.  Along with his wife, and two teenagers, Tommy, lives a relatively normal life; he works as a credit manager at his local Home Depot.  A dedicated family man, he says that his family is absolutely the best part of every day.  He posts his BOSTON covers and other music on his myspace page, and even wrote a song in honor of Delp last summer.  Hearing of a tribute being planned, a friend encouraged DeCarlo to take action.  He remembers, “I sent my myspace page link to the BOSTON camp, and I also offered to sing my song at the tribute show, never thinking I’d get a reply.  I did end up getting one about two weeks later thanking me for the offer, but at this point there were not going to be any additions to the line up. It was a very nice reply, and I was just thrilled that I got a response.”

Several weeks later, Tom Scholz happened to hear Tommy’s cover of “Don’t Look Back,” and was shocked.  Knowing every nuance of Brad’s voice, he could not believe that this was not Brad singing, exclaiming, “I haven’t heard anyone else sing like that in 35 years.”  Scholz contacted Tommy and invited him to come and sing a few songs at the tribute.  DeCarlo’s reaction was, “I would have never believed this could happen in a million years. The next thing I knew I was on my way to Boston to sing with BOSTON…are you kidding me?”

Prior to that, the largest crowd that Tommy had sung in front of was several dozen people, performing karaoke in a bowling alley.  DeCarlo confesses, “I must admit, most of those 30 or 40 were bowling.”  His next gig was in front of over 5,000 people, although that wasn’t the most daunting part of his trip.  He says, “The most scary time for me was when I walked into rehearsal and met them all for the first time.  As I walked into the building where rehearsal was taking place…I could hear the sound of a kick drum off in the distance…I walked through the doors and could not believe it…there was BOSTON rehearsing ‘Don’t Look Back.’ Wow!”

DeCarlo continues, “Meeting the band members was incredible, they couldn’t have made me feel more like family.  The best thing was that they allowed me to bring my son with me to rehearsal, who’s a huge BOSTON fan by the way. My son & I were in awe…but trying not to look in awe, if you know what I mean.”  He adds, “It was then my turn to sing and I walked up to the mic and sang ‘Smokin.’  Then I finished and the most incredible thing happened…Tom Scholz walked right over to me and gave me a high-five…I was like, ‘No way that just happened!’”

At the Bank Of America Pavilion for a sound check the next morning, he got his first look at the size of the audience he would be singing for.  Tommy laughs, “It was nothing like the bowing alley, I’ll tell you that.”  Due to time constraints, DeCarlo never even got a sound check, but it simply didn’t matter, that night he stunned the crowd with his performance of Smokin’ and “Party.”

He recollects, “During the set change when BOSTON was getting ready to perform, I was back stage pacing back and forth…nervous as all get out...but the BOSTON band members past & present were more than supportive.  The next thing I knew, a crew member looked at me and said, ‘You’re on,’ and that is when I met all of you for the first time…the best fans in the world! It was all of you who made me feel that everything was going to be okay, and I smiled knowing I was among friends.  For the moment we were one and shared in something very special, and it was truly an honor to sing for you.  Brad’s voice gave me hope & inspiration at times in my life when I needed it. I have said that I never took any singing lessons, but that’s not exactly true…it was Brad who taught me how to sing, even though he never knew it.”

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: January 31, 1952
Drums

Born in the Big Sky country of Montana, but raised in Arkansas, Curly Smith had rhythm spoon-fed into his being from living next to railroad tracks. The thundering trains mesmerized the young boy, who started beating on pots and pans to accompany the sound of the railroad cars lumbering by. Whenever he had the opportunity, Curly would cross the tracks and soak in the sounds of the gospel music emitted from the church nearby. He says that these memorable childhood experiences laid the foundation for his quest for a musical career.

Curly started playing guitar, drums and singing by the time he was 12, and picked up the harmonica at 14. Prior to his 20th birthday, he began classical piano lessons and composing music. Working in various bands in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, he honed his skills until joining Jo Jo Gunne in California, an offshoot of the classic rock group Spirit. Jo Jo Gunne had a top 40's hit entitled "Run Run Run," and toured extensively in the USA and Europe. After Jo Jo Gunne, Curly started doing session work as well as producing for a variety of artists in Los Angeles and London, including Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Monkees, John Waite, Joe Walsh, Andy Taylor, Steve Jones, Willie Nelson, Ron Wood, Jackson Brown, Dickie Betts, Brian Wilson, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Bonnie Raitt, Ian Hunter, Belinda Carlisle. He is one of the few people who has the distinction of being one of the few drummers who played for The Who's Keith Moon. He attributes this period with his honing his craft and fine-tuning the various styles of music he played, from rock to pop and rhythm and blues. During his time as a staff writer at Vogue Music, he is credited with a number of cover songs.

Curly believes that the universal sound lies within each and every one of us, stating, "We are all inextricably woven into the sound fabric of this planet we have just forgotten how to listen. It is literally all around us. Our world is imbued with the spirit of music and the inspiration of creativity." During the '90's, Tom Scholz of BOSTON wanted to tap into Smith's talents, and invited him to tour with the band. Playing drums, a mean blues harp and lending backing vocals, Curly was a welcome addition to the band, toured with them in 1995 and 1997, and had a memorable drum/guitar jam with Tom Scholz on the '97 tour. He also played an incredible harp solo on BOSTON's Greatest Hits song, "Higher Power," and co-wrote "Didn't Mean to Fall in Love" on the Corporate America CD.

Curly lives Sedona, Arizona, where in 2001, he released a solo effort entitled Cool Blue Cosmic Gem, an ethereal compilation that was composed, arranged, performed, produced, engineered and mixed himself. It is one of Tom Scholz's favorite instrumental CD's to listen to. Curly's latest hard rock CD entitled Rough House, was also written and recorded in Arizona. For more information, visit www.csmrecords.com or download at cdbaby.com.

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: December 24, 1951
Drums

Growing up in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, near Boston's inner city, Jim Masdea lived in a house that shook with the rumble of passing commuter trains. Dealing with the drama of urban survival, no one would have predicted that someday he would be close friends with MIT grad Tom Scholz, who had had the luxury of a good home and successful, educated parents.

Self taught and immersed in Rock and Roll music at an early age, Jim was happy playing drums in capable local rock bands by the time he started high school. When Jim serendipitously answered an ad for a band that Barry Goudreau and Tom Scholz were playing in, the stage was set for a relationship that would eventually change all of their lives. That band quickly dissolved, but the musical connection turned into a close friendship between Scholz and Masdea.

Jim was the drummer for several unsuccessful attempts at bands formed to play songs live, and even more attempts at recording them in Scholz's commercial studio. When Tom gave up on these approaches and went 'underground' to his basement studio, he invited Jim to be the only other musician he would work with. Masdea played the drums on every demo recorded by Scholz, and together they developed the drum arrangements for most of the music heard on BOSTON's debut album.

At the insistence of management, Masdea was eventually replaced for the recording of the debut album tracks, but the drum parts for many of the songs were reproduced note for note from the demo tracks that Jim played. At Scholz's insistence, Jim played drums for 'Rock and Roll Band' on that album, and several years later Tom invited him back to record drums for much of BOSTON's Third Stage, and the amazing 1987 stadium tours that followed. In addition to playing with BOSTON, Jim has been involved in diverse enterprises, including building and operating a bakery, and captaining a commercial yacht.

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: November 23
Drums

Doug lived in northern California and started playing with the drums when he was 14. School-buddy guitar players made up his "formal training" as they played weddings and private parties. Just out of high school, Doug started a band with some players he knew were serious. They called themselves "A Euphonious Wail", wrote their own songs, and secured a record deal with MCA Records. They released their first album in 1973 and toured as the opening act for Black Sabbath, Bloodrock, and Steppenwolf. Before they started their second album, their guitar player decided rock and roll life wasn't for him and he quit. "We offered the job to a guitar/vocalist guy named Sammy Hagar, but he didn't want to play guitar anymore, he just wanted to sing, so we sent him packin'!! Too bad... he really missed an opportunity there!" It was around that time that Gary Pihl noticed what a great singing drummer Doug was. Gary tried to get Doug to consider being front man for his band Crossfire. They also tried to hire Sammy Hagar but Sammy had put his own band together by then.

In 1975, Doug landed a gig with a guy making a comeback by the name of Link Wray. He'd had a single back in 1957 called "Rumble" in which he introduced the "power chord" to rock music. "Although the gig lasted only six months, it was an honor to work with a living legend."
From 1976 to 1982, Doug worked with "Pacific Coast Highway", another songwriting/touring band playing festivals and small venues up and down the West coast. 1983 found him moving his family to Eureka Springs, Arkansas where he started playing in musical theater. "This was totally different from anything I had done before and it prepared me for a life-changing event... the call to audition for "Boston" !"

"Early in 1987, I got a phone call from Gary Pihl saying that Boston waslooking for a singing drummer to do an up-coming tour and asked if I would consider auditioning! I was told to learn 4 songs verbatim and that a plane ticket would be in the mail for me. I learned the tunes, then packed my autograph book and my camera! Hey, I knew I would never get the gig, but I really wanted to meet the guys from one of my all-time favorite bands !"

"I flew there, I flew back... I flew there again, I flew back. Each time I went, I worked with a different bass player (a position that was open as well). Finally, on my fourth trip, I was there with bassist David Sikes, who I'd auditioned with one time before. When we saw each other, we both thought, "maybe we're the ones!?!" Excitement turned to jubilation when, after a few hours of playing, we were asked to do the tour!"

"The six-month tour turned into years of fun, adventure and friendship with Tom, Brad, Gary, Dave, and a fantastic crew of forty-some-odd guys and gals."

"When we finished the fourth album, "Walk On", in June of 1994, Tom wanted to make some changes in the line-up and I was asked to step down. We're all still friends... no hard feelings. Tom Scholz is a fabulous human being with a vision of how and what he wants the band to be. There have been even more changes in personnel since I left, but that's what makes Boston "contemporary". They're not your typical "classic-rock" band. It was the experience of a lifetime and I miss their smiling mugs! (here's to you, Brad)"

In December of 1995, Doug and some friends started a country music theater in Branson, Missouri. It's a great show with some incredibly talented musicians that continues today. In June of 2005, Doug's parent's declining health prompted Doug and wife, Valerie, to move to Oregon to care for them. Although he lost his parents, Doug stayed on there with Valerie, enjoying each other and the beautiful Southern Oregon coast.

Sadly, Doug's adult son, Boone, passed away recently from an epileptic seizure. Boone leaves behind a wife and daughter. Contributions to his memorial fund are greatly appreciated. Boone Huffman Memorial Fund c/o Community First Bank, 107 West Van Buren St. Eureka Springs, AR 72632

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: April 25
Bass

David Sikes spent the first four years of his life near his birthplace of Cambridge, England, until his family relocated to California. David's interest in music began much in the same way that many of the youth of his generation had... with his exposure to the Beatles. Learning trumpet and French horn in elementary school, he also played a mean air guitar and sang along to his favorite bands. He got his chance to rock as a sophomore in high school, when some friends invited him to join their band. They were in need of a bass player, so David saved his money, bought one, and taught himself how to play by listening to his favorite records and picking the notes up by ear.

A music major in college, David received some formal training, studying music theory, playing in the orchestra, and learning to play several other instruments. David bounced around the San Francisco club scene during the early eighties, playing with a number of bands that had some local popularity. During this time, he was asked to audition for Aldo Nova. Aldo Nova's first album made it into the top 10 selling albums in the year of its release and the band toured for 10 straight months, opening for Sammy Hagar (where he met future BOSTON band mate Gary Pihl), Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Rainbow, and Journey among others.

After finishing the band's second album and tour, David decided it was time to move on, and eventually joined the Los Angeles band Guiffria for their second album. At this point, David reconnected with Gary Pihl, who called David a while later with an offer of an invitation to audition for Boston's bassist. A big fan of the band, David jumped at the chance to play with Tom, Brad and the others. Excited about the opportunity, the busy integrated style of bass playing was right up Dave's alley. He explains the process of getting ready for his first BOSTON tour, "First off, I studied the songs on my own, and probably had the bass parts down in 2 weeks or so. One of the things I had to do was buy a 5 string bass because so many of the songs on Third Stage had the E string tuned lower than a standard pitch. Playing a bass with 5 strings was a bit of an adjustment. What was more difficult was playing the bass and singing, there was a lot going on in some of those parts. I can't tell you how long that took because it was a gradual process of working with Brad and Doug on my own and rehearsing with the band. My memory is that we rehearsed for a full 2 months before the Third Stage tour. At the point that we played our first show, I felt I really had it all down." Sikes played with BOSTON from 1987 to 1997, performing on four tours.

Sikes had the reputation of being quite a practical joker on the road. One day, it caught up with him, as Gary Pihl explains, "David was walking over some cables right behind the stage during soundcheck on our '97 tour. He slipped and fell onto his bass guitar. A tuning peg from the bass jammed into his skin about an inch from his eye. He was rushed to the hospital and got about 5 stitches to close the wound. We thought we'd have to cancel the show but he came back to the venue like a trooper, ready to do the concert. While he was at the hospital, Brad heard about the accident and that Dave wasn't in a life threatening situation. So as a joke, Brad outlined an image of Dave's body and the bass guitar on the ground with white tape at the spot where Dave went down, just like a police crime scene. We were all rolling with laughter but Dave wasn't amused when he saw it. But that's rock and roll, you get about one minute of sympathy then no mercy."

Credited on Walk On and Greatest Hits for songwriting and vocals, Sikes also assisted on production on the vocal arrangements for several songs on Walk On. "He was an asset in the recording of the album Walk On," says Scholz.

Trading in rock and roll after BOSTON's 1997 tour for the rewarding world of family life, David lives near San Francisco with his wife and two sons, where he owns a thriving insurance agency. On making the shift, he says, "I have been a musician all my adult life, there were a lot of ups and downs. I have never liked the business of music and there is no way to escape it if you rely on it for your living. The single biggest reason for me though, were my two sons who were growing up and I was missing large chunks of their childhood. My children deserved to have a dad that was around." He continues to play for enjoyment, and has participated in charity concerts over the years with musicians from Huey Lewis and the News, Night Ranger, and Tower of Power.

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: September 3
Vocals/Guitar
Facebook: facebook.com/FranCosmo

In the early '90's when Tom Scholz was ready to lay down vocal tracks for Walk On, Brad Delp was not available for the project, so Fran Cosmo stepped up to the plate, or the mic in this case, and started his journey with BOSTON. Tom says, "Fran has a really good ear for recorded and live sound." Fran sang most of the vocals on that album, and has toured with the band in 1995, 1997, 2003 and 2004, trading off vocals with Brad. Cosmo also sang with Delp on "Higher Power," off of 1997's Greatest Hits, and several songs on Corporate America. Scholz remembers, "Fran was fun to play with on stage after Walk On was released, he was a second voice that could sing harmony with Brad and a capable guitar player." Jeff Neal says, "As if one phenomenal vocalist in the band weren't enough, Fran is an amazing talent in his own right... and a seasoned pro. I really enjoy playing with him on stage. There are a lot of moments in the show where we feed off each other's energy. Behind the scenes, he completely keeps me in stitches with his antics and sense of humor, which is much appreciated considering the stress that naturally exists dealing with life on the road. Not only is he a great singer and musician, but just a great guy to hang with."

Gary Pihl describes him this way, "Fran's an easy going guy with a big heart. Nothing seems more important to him than family and friends. A great guy to have on your side, or in your band! He was born with such musical instinct. You can't learn it. You can't teach it, he's just got it. But Fran is one of those guys who is never happy with their performance. He always wants to make it better. He'll have an incredible night, the crowd is jumping up and down for him and he'll turn to us and worry, "Did I sound OK?" Fran doesn't have a technical background but if he says he's hearing something wrong with a speaker on the other side of the stage, we go check it out. He's got super hearing. Dogs ask him, 'Did you hear something?'"

Prior to BOSTON, Fran had been in several bands, one being Orion the Hunter . Currently, Fran is touring and recording with Cosmo , a band he created with his son Anthony. Fran lives in Upstate New York with his wife and daughter. For more information, check out their website at www.myspace.com/cosmotheband

Bio from bandboston.com

Guitar

Anthony Cosmo, a native of Utica, NY, is consumed by music. Throughout his life, it seemed like he always had a guitar in hand; it was a common bond between he and his father, Fran Cosmo. Also proficient on the piano and bass guitar, Ant spends most of his time writing and recording music in his home studio. How Anthony went from his home in Upstate New York to a nationwide tour with one of rock music's most iconic bands is really a story of natural talent meeting incredible timing. Fran had been touring with Tom, and introduced him to Ant's music during a break. Scholz liked what he heard, and ended up including 3 of his songs, "Turn it Off," "Stare Out Your Window," and "Cryin'" on BOSTON's last release, Corporate America.

After Corporate America was released, Anthony toured with BOSTON in '03 and '04, lending his skillful guitar work to their big stage sound. Tom says, "Ant is an excellent, self-taught rock guitarist, he has a really nice touch. He had very creative, uniquely original ideas, that's the whole reason he got to play on stage with BOSTON." Gary Pihl adds, "The story I heard was, Fran had always told Anthony not to worry about being in local bands and doing low paid gigs, just write songs. So Anthony's first appearance with a live band was with us at the Fiesta Bowl. What a way to start your career! Anthony is a terrific singer/songwriter. When I first heard "Turn it Off," I thought, 'What a cool song, the chord progression is so unique and unexpected, I could have never written a song like that.' His voice is so flexible he can jokingly mimic his dad, but it sounds awesome! Just as uncanny as when Brad sings Amanda as Bob Dylan." Jeff Neal has this to say, "I'd consider selling my soul to the devil if I could have some of his musical talent and proficiency at writing. Ant has an uncanny knack for hearing great hooks and melodies. Both he and Fran were quick to take me under their wing when I first joined the band. They kind of showed me the ropes so to speak, and by their reaching out, it really showed me a great deal about their character." Although Ant has over a dozen and a half guitars, he has a penchant for his Les Paul standard electric and J 45 acoustic guitar, also by Gibson. His first guitar is a 24 year old Vantage Avenger which is now mounted and framed in a curio box in the musician's home.

Currently, he continues to write and produce music, and tours with the band COSMO. He also is pursuing a solo career with ATOM, another outlet to showcase his prolific songwriting. Anthony's music combines many different elements and influences from the last 30 years that he calls, "A global sound." Anthony lives in Upstate New York. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/anthonycosmo , and www.myspace.com/cosmotheband

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: April 22
Vocals/Bass
Official Site: kdsongs.com

As the first woman to grace the BOSTON lineup, Kimberley Dahme has been a welcome addition since she joined the group in 2001. It was a stroke of luck for the native Californian, who now calls Nashville home. Kimberley sums it up this way, "I was in the right place at the right time. I was playing in another band and Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl were out looking for a new drummer for BOSTON. They happened to see me onstage. I was playing electric guitar and singing in that band. Tom approached me after the show and asked me if I could play bass. I told him that I could learn! I immediately went back to Nashville and bought a bass and called their offices and begged for an audition. I ended up getting the part. I went into deep rehearsal mode for a year. The concerts come as second nature now but they took a great deal of wood-shedding at the beginning." Kimberley's first official appearance with BOSTON (as well as her first time playing bass in public), was on New Year's Day in 2002 at the Fiesta Bowl, where they performed the National Anthem to an audience of over 74,000 and millions of television viewers! Reflecting on that occasion, Kimberley notes, "Longest minute and a half of my life!" Gary Pihl says, "Kimberley's such a hard worker and is really dedicated to making the band sound great. As we were getting ready for the '03 tour (her first with us), she'd come in early and stay late to put in as much time as possible perfecting her chops. She said she'd always loved how expressive the bass lines on the albums are and wanted to nail them note for note."

A big fan of the band from the beginning, Kimberley played in a BOSTON cover band in the 5th grade. It would turn out to be be a vision of things to come for the 6-foot blonde. "I am a huge fan of Tom's music. You can't get better than BOSTON: Tom Scholz and Brad Delp, what an amazing combination! I am very honored to be a part of this band," she says. Born in San Pablo, California, Kimberley grew up in various locations out by the Mojave desert. Dahme has been immersed in music ever since she can remember. "I was in singing lessons before I could even read and could barely even talk," she says. In addition to the bass, Kimberley also plays guitar and flute. Her voice is perhaps her most amazing instrument. Her incredible range really shines, whether she is singing lead or belting out those exquisite harmonies, one of her specialties. She says, "I naturally hear everything in harmony. When a person sings I hear in my head about eight different harmonies." Brad Delp adds, "With Kim, we finally have the girl that we should have had in the first place on vocals to cover some of my parts."

While still in California, Kimberley worked constantly recording radio and television jingles. "The market was so saturated with my voice that they had to start altering it so it would sound like someone else," recalls Kimberley. She has always been athletic, and to this day, still holds the basketball rebound record for her high school. "I got through college with music and sporting scholarships," says Kimberley. As a freshman in college, she was chosen to sing the lead opera vocal backed by a 75-piece choral ensemble that performed A Midsummer's Night Dream on a European tour. Kimberley has always written and performed her own music, and has played with numerous bands over the years. "I also had plenty of random jobs to sustain my music habit," she remembers. It was Tom Hambridge's band that she was performing with when Tom and Gary found her on that fateful night, and she still writes and performs with him on occasion.

This lovely guitarist and vocalist is also a very talented songwriter. Tom Scholz included her song, "With You" on BOSTON's last release, Corporate America. With five solo albums under her belt, she is currently playing at various venues around the country, writing more songs in her spare time, and laying down vocal tracks in Scholz's studio on occasion. Jeff Neal says, "She lights up the room with her personality wherever she goes. Kim is a born performer. Wherever the band goes, people everywhere really seem to relate and respond to her. Along with Brad, she is the one who gets up early in the morning after traveling all night with little sleep to do a radio interview to help promote the band. It ' s a lot to ask of someone on the road, and Kim does it like a trooper." Ms. Dahme is the very proud mother of a 10 year-old son, and a 3 1/2 year-old daughter, who join her on the road from time to time. Somehow, she manages to balance it all, home life and being on the road, a very delicate juggling act indeed. Her fans will attest that she is warm and welcoming to all of them, and has that unique gift of knowing how to make each person feel special. You can tell that she is in her element whether she is on stage, or greeting fans after a show. She says, "When I am on stage, it's as if I'm in my living room and you're my guests. That's the time I throw all my cares away and just play music. I love music, as you can tell. I love performing and people and everything. Bring it on!"

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: July 4, 1963
Vocals, Guitar
Official Site: michaelsweet.com
Twitter: @michaelhsweet

At the age of 5, Michael Sweet picked up a guitar, and has yet to put it down.  From that point forward, music has always been an intrinsic part of this native Californian’s life, leading him on a circuitous journey that most recently took a detour to BOSTON.  Born into a musical family, both of Sweet’s parents and sister were singers, his brother a drummer. Michael picked up bass, drums and piano along the way in this household that often had some sort of jam session going on.  He remembers, “We were raised around music, it’s all I've ever lived with. My father loved music and was always playing records on the turntable. He had wide variety...stuff like Pavarotti, Buck Owens, Aerosmith, and Credence Clearwater Revival.”  These diverse influences helped shape Michael as a versatile vocalist, singing everything from power ballads to belting out primal screams.

Michael and his brother started a band as teenagers, Roxx Regime, a moniker that soon morphed into Stryper.  As part of the emerging music scene out of LA during the 80’s, Stryper was a fixture on the Sunset Strip, opening for bands like Ratt, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi, and initiating the first Christian Metal band into the mainstream, where bands like White Lion and Metallica opened for them.  With 7 releases, over 10 million albums sold, gold and platinum status acquired, and filling stadiums as distant as Japan, Stryper was a success story by most anyone’s standards.  In 1992, Sweet began to work on his solo projects.

In the mid-‘90’s, MIcheal and his wife, son and daughter switched coasts, moving from Orange County to Massachusetts’ Cape Cod, where Sweet worked for a time as a park ranger at his father’s-in-law campground.  Most days were spent writing songs in his head while working out in the cranberry bogs, nights were spent recording the day’s mental notes. “I literally put my blood, sweat and tears into my music during that time,” he says, adding, “I’ll always be writing music.  My mind and my heart are always in that mode, driving in the car, walking the dog, whatever I’m doing, there’s a melody constantly in my head. I don’t think I’ll ever lose that.”  To date, he has released six solo efforts, to critical acclaim.  BOSTON was a powerful influence to Michael in his own musical evolution.  He recalls, “When recording, I began layering guitar tracks and vocal tracks and eventually moved into harmony solos as well. One of my all time favorite guitar solos (and one of my favorite songs) is "Hitch a Ride.” I used to play it over and over again trying to soak it all in. Looking back now and having been a part of writing and recording my own music for the past 30 years, I understand the work that went in to crafting and recording the BOSTON material and it makes me respect it all the more.”

In 2005, after a 15-year recording sabbatical, Stryper released another album followed by a tour, aptly named, Reborn.  Michael also continued to work on his own projects.  Gary and Tom met Michael when he was invited to come perform at the Brad Delp tribute in 2007, and an instant kinship was born between them.  They were impressed with not only Michael’s character and his voice, but also with his style of guitar playing. Tom says, “At our very first get-together, all of the songs that Gary and I played with him sounded better than they ever had before!”  Sweet reminisces, "I remember when I heard BOSTON for the first time - I was 13.  I was at a point in my life where music was such a powerful expression for me, I knew I wanted to make music for the rest of my life. When I heard the guitar tones, the vocals, the structure of each song on the first BOSTON release, it influenced my writing and my quest for the ultimate guitar tone.”

Performing at the tribute was an incredible experience for Michael.  He says, “It was a true blessing.  The love and support for Brad was an inspiration to everyone involved. It was an honor for me to personally be a part of that, a fond memory that I will never forget. Now to be a part of a BOSTON tour, a band that was such a part of my musical education, and to call them friends, is truly remarkable!"

Bio from bandboston.com

DOB: August 07, 1962
Guitar/Vocals
Official Site: davidvictor.com
Twitter: @dvictor

[From davidvictor.com]

San Francisco Bay Area native vocalist/guitarist David Victor first picked up a guitar at the age of 16 after seeing his sister’s boyfriend strum a few chords. At age 18, David began performing with several original hard rock and cover bands in northern California. After graduating with a degree in Computer Science from California State University in 1989, David financed, wrote, recorded and produced his first commercial release PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT in 1991. The album was initially released on cassette only and featured primarily uptempo pop-rock originals.

David put together his first original band VELOCITY in 1996 and recorded and produced Velocity’s debut album IMPACT in 1997 which included veteran drummer Pat Torpey (Mr. Big, Robert Plant, The Knack) on drums.

VELOCITY was a dynamic live act that would go on to play numerous shows throughout the western U.S. from 1996 until 2000. As a result of touring as well as U.S. and Canadian commercial rock radio airplay, VELOCITY’s IMPACT and the followup album ACTIVATOR went on to sell well in the U.S., with over 5000 sold in Utah alone where the album received regular airplay on one rebellious rock station K-ROCK. IMPACT sold over 12,000 units worldwide with deals on Europe’s MTM Records and Japan’s AVEX records and continues to sell consistently.

In 1999, David decided to move to Los Angeles to explore new live musical opportunities. LA bands included BOSTON tribute band SMOKIN’, a high-level rock jam band EXILE SOCIAL CLUB (featuring Chuck Wright of QUIET RIOT on bass and Pat Torpey on drums) and several corporate party bands.

David has most recently been performing with the acts he co-founded PLATINUM ROCKSTARS™ (a multi-artist classic rock show band) and BOSTYX, a tribute to the music of BOSTON and STYX. More information about these bands and others can be found on the Platinum Rockstars Productions website.