March 12th, 2007: Brad Delp, Rest In Peace

Some of you may have noticed the banner on PIRATE COVE's front page this afternoon thanking a singer by the name of Brad Delp for his lifetime of musical contributions. And I don't doubt that many of you are asking yourselves "Brad WHO?" Allow me to shed a little light:

Brad Delp was the lead singer of the rock band BOSTON. From the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, you couldn't switch the station without hearing Brad's voice belting out through your radio. As I was growing up during those times, BOSTON was a huge influence upon my tender little mind and therefore become one of my all-time favorite bands.

This afternoon, while perusing The Hollywood Reporter, I saw Brad's death announcement. On Page 36. PAGE 36! This man sang on a debut album that sold 17 MILLION copies! Wow. Page 36, huh? I swore to myself I wouldn't get all snarky about the media in what I intend to be a serious eulogy, but considering some of the other "famous" individuals getting a ton of press over their deaths, Page 36 just doesn't sit well with me.

So, Mr. Delp gets front page at PIRATE COVE. It's not much but it's what I have to offer. I wish I'd had the opportunity to tell him in person, but as that is no longer possible, I'll just have to tell eveyone else: Thank you for lifting my spirits when I'm down. Thank you for making me smile when I hear your voice. Thank you for the level-10 sing alongs we stage on long road trips. Just like Beethoven, just like Frank Sinatra, and just like Led Zeppelin... BOSTON and the legacy of Brad Delp will live on long after we're all long gone. That's the great thing about being an artist: whether they knew you or not, you will never be forgotten.

- J.

"Cry a little longer and hold a little tighter. Emotions can't be satisfied."