What began as tragic is fast becoming heartbreaking as a libel lawsuit filed by Boston guitarist/songwriter Tom Scholz against newspaper the Boston Herald unfolds in court. Scholz sued the Herald over three 2007 columns Scholz claims blamed him for driving singer Brad Delp to commit suicide, an allegation the Herald denies.
Refresher: Boston is a multi-million-selling rock combo best known for 70s-era hits like “More Than a Feeling” and “Don’t Look Back” and has been a classic rock radio staple since emerging from their namesake city. Delp’s suicide by self-inflicted carbon monoxide poisoning in 2007, at age 55, shook the rock world.
As Ultimate Classic Rock notes, former Boston member Fran Sheehan testified that the writing was on the wall shortly after he joined the band in the ’70s. Sheehan was one of approximately 20 people to take the stand with regards to dialogue between each of them and Delp. They chronicled the singer’s inability to confront Scholz, while also offering their personal opinions of what drove Delp to his own death.
According to UCR, former Boston member David Sikes told the court that Delp “didn’t like Tom and didn’t trust Tom. He felt that Tom had taken advantage of him financially, especially.” Not long before Delp’s death, Sikes recalled a conversation with the singer in which Delp told him, “how much he envied me, that I had the guts to stand up to Tom Scholz and the guts to quit the band and to move on with my life, to leave Boston.”
Lifelong Delp friend Steve Frary also offered insight on Delp’s relationship with Scholz. Frary says that Delp told him that Scholz was “driving him crazy,” and was surprised when Delp used an expletive to describe Scholz, the only time that Frary heard Delp swear in the 35 years he had known him.
Oh dear. Sad as this is – and even if Scholz was a tyrant – it’s hard to believe someone could take their own life unless they were already in a precarious state owing to depression, mental illness or some other very serious factor.
For his part, Scholz has said that he “had a very strong personal connection” with Delp and was his friend for more than 30 years. In his lawsuit against the Herald, Scholz claims that the newspaper falsely asserted that Delp committed suicide “because of turmoil and extreme stress from his professional life caused by Scholz.”
Scholz has until June 30 to respond to the summary of testimony compiled by the Herald’s lawyers and submit his own evidence to the court. Whatever the outcome, nothing will bring Delp back. Sad, sad, sad.
I've always heard Boston songs my whole life but it is only in the last few years that I've really LISTENED to Brad Delp's voice and as a musician and singer, I have to give him props as one of the best rock singers there ever was. Truly tragic that his voice was silenced before its time.
Funny but I alsways hear about how Bullies. The fact is that bullies usually are cowards at heart and if you let your self be bullied then you're a target. I found that if you report a bully then he/she becomes the target. But alas there are few people that point out a bully because they're considered fun. Then shut up! You're the problem.
Since one of these two is dead and buried, all fans will ever know about this will be from hearsay. So what's the point of re-hashing this! The truth---almost always---eventually comes out.
If he treats his FRIENDS like this ,have pity on his enemies. Do people realize that what we say out loud sometimes and if it hurts a person ,KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT.
The Boston Globe story published today discloses the truth behind the last days of Brad Delp’s life. This demonstrates that Brad was suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts since he was a teenager, long before he ever met Tom Scholz or became involved with BOSTON. It also shows that disturbing events unrelated to Tom Scholz and BOSTON combined with Brad’s own personal issues finally overwhelmed him. For more than a year the Boston Herald has had this information in Brad’s own words, from his e-mails and notes about the upsetting events in the last days preceding his suicide. The fact that the Herald has never reported this information to its readers is outrageous, especially when the Herald continues to write stories denigrating Tom in this matter. This information shows that the Herald got the story completely wrong. The Herald owes Tom Scholz an apology. And then some.”
- Steve Simon, business affairs representative and close friend of Tom Scholz.
??Oh dear. Sad as this is – and even if Scholz was a tyrant – it’s hard to believe someone could take their own life unless they were already in a precarious state owing to depression, mental illness or some other very serious factor.??
Being bullied is suddenly not a reason to be depressed??
I've always heard Boston songs my whole life but it is only in the last few years that I've really LISTENED to Brad Delp's voice and as a musician and singer, I have to give him props as one of the best rock singers there ever was. Truly tragic that his voice was silenced before its time.
Posted by: Darrell | 05/27/2012 at 10:38 AM
Funny but I alsways hear about how Bullies. The fact is that bullies usually are cowards at heart and if you let your self be bullied then you're a target. I found that if you report a bully then he/she becomes the target. But alas there are few people that point out a bully because they're considered fun. Then shut up! You're the problem.
Posted by: Denis | 05/27/2012 at 12:09 PM
Since one of these two is dead and buried, all fans will ever know about this will be from hearsay. So what's the point of re-hashing this! The truth---almost always---eventually comes out.
Posted by: frank bennadeto | 05/27/2012 at 12:31 PM
If he treats his FRIENDS like this ,have pity on his enemies. Do people realize that what we say out loud sometimes and if it hurts a person ,KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT.
Posted by: What | 05/27/2012 at 02:10 PM
He was depressed since splitting with his wife.It was very difficult for him.
Posted by: Bob | 05/27/2012 at 09:27 PM
The Boston Globe story published today discloses the truth behind the last days of Brad Delp’s life. This demonstrates that Brad was suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts since he was a teenager, long before he ever met Tom Scholz or became involved with BOSTON. It also shows that disturbing events unrelated to Tom Scholz and BOSTON combined with Brad’s own personal issues finally overwhelmed him. For more than a year the Boston Herald has had this information in Brad’s own words, from his e-mails and notes about the upsetting events in the last days preceding his suicide. The fact that the Herald has never reported this information to its readers is outrageous, especially when the Herald continues to write stories denigrating Tom in this matter. This information shows that the Herald got the story completely wrong. The Herald owes Tom Scholz an apology. And then some.”
- Steve Simon, business affairs representative and close friend of Tom Scholz.
Posted by: publicist | 05/28/2012 at 12:23 AM
??Oh dear. Sad as this is – and even if Scholz was a tyrant – it’s hard to believe someone could take their own life unless they were already in a precarious state owing to depression, mental illness or some other very serious factor.??
Being bullied is suddenly not a reason to be depressed??
Posted by: Tuner | 05/28/2012 at 06:41 PM