Tom Scholz VS Brad Delp

That 70s Guy

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bostonherald.com




Court documents spotlight singer’s feelings about Scholz
Joe Dwinell By Joe Dwinell
Monday, May 14, 2012 - Updated 1 day ago

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A distressed Brad Delp, lead singer of the rock band Boston, told his close friends that band leader Tom Scholz was a “bully” who made him feel like “an abused dog,” and that Delp was trying to summon the courage to “stand up” to Scholz and quit the band in the months before he took his life, according to summaries of pretrial testimony recently made public.

Delp committed suicide in March 2007 at age 55 shortly after being informed by Scholz that the band was going to be touring that summer, and just before rehearsals for the tour were about to begin.

Scholz has sued the Herald, alleging that in its reporting on Delp’s suicide in 2007, the Herald defamed him by implying that Scholz was responsible for Delp’s decision to take his life. Scholz also claims that the Herald’s articles caused him emotional distress. The Herald denies that it blamed Scholz for Delp’s decision to commit suicide, and states that it accurately reported the opinions expressed to it by Delp’s friends, family and acquaintances about the pressures that Delp said he was feeling near the end of his life.

According to the testimony of Delp’s close friends and former bandmates, Delp told them in the months leading up to his suicide that he was “terrified” of being sued by Scholz and that he desperately wanted to quit Boston for good but was afraid that if he did Scholz, who had been involved in litigation with numerous people associated with the band, would sue him.

Court records indicate that Delp’s doctor has testified that in late January 2007, about six weeks before Delp took his life, Delp came to see him complaining of heart palpitations and shortness of breath, and told him that the band and Scholz were increasing his anxiety, and that he was thinking of quitting the band.

Friends testified that Delp told them that he felt like a “wimp” for not being able to confront Scholz and that Scholz had financially mistreated him by taking band revenue and using it as his own “expenses.” According to a summary of pretrial testimony, Delp told his former wife that Scholz was “a man who believed his own lies,” and that he could not speak to Scholz.

Scholz sued Delp’s former wife, Micki Delp, claiming she defamed him in statements made to the Herald after Delp died. A superior court judge has dismissed those claims.

A former band member, Fran Sheehan, testified that Scholz had admitted to “screwing” Delp out of credit for Boston’s most famous song, “More Than A Feeling,” for which Delp had written the title and refrain, according to Sheehan, and that Scholz had instead given Delp credit for another, less lucrative song.

Scholz asserts that he and Delp were “best friends,” and notes that Delp had quit Boston in the past and that Scholz had never sued him. He denies financially mistreating Delp and asserts that Delp was free to quit the band if he wished to.

Scholz has pointed to a personally embarrassing incident that occurred between Delp and a close friend in late February 2007, as one that greatly upset Delp and asserts that that is the reason Delp took his life.

According to the summary of testimony on file, Delp had already begun purchasing the items that he used to take his life the day before the incident.

Court records reflect that in 2004, on Boston’s last tour before Delp took his life, Delp was deeply depressed at being with the band and told close friends that he wanted out of Boston and wished that Scholz “would just quit.” According to one former band member, Delp said on that tour that one way for him to get out of the band would be to commit suicide. The band member testified that he asked Delp if he were serious, and that Delp had looked at him, said that he was, and just “walked away.”

The summary of pretrial testimony had been compiled by the Herald’s lawyers. Scholz’s lawyers took the step of filing the summary with Superior Court Judge Frances A. McIntyre in connection with their emergency motion to strike it as too long. McIntyre denied the motion. Scholz has not yet responded to the Herald’s summary, and has 60 days to do so.
 

METALPRIEST

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There's two sides to every story, but this is a trip to say the least. I actually knew that it was supposed band/Scholz issues, that had made him take his own life.

This article here seems to elaborate on this a bit more though however. Who knows. You know??
 

Slip'nn2Darkness

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It really is very sad that the "dirty laundry" get's drug out after something like this happens. It's becoming a way of life and I'm not sure what to think. I only wish Brad would have had the chance to just go on singing with or without Boston.
 

billyporter

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i've never been one of those people that says suicide is a coward's way out.
however i'll never understand why a person kills themselves over something like money.
i'd rather go on living and lose my money than kill myself and have money. its like people suicide when they lose their job, don't get that.
you can get money and a job again.

i would of thought that being in boston was EXTREMELY part-time. probably more than any other band.
my impression of boston is that they toured every couple of decades, and made an album every 15 years or so.
so you'd think boston wouldn't of been a big thing in brad's life. still i don't know what went on, i can only go by what i've read over the years.

however i can believe that the guy in charge of a 'one man band' can be a bastard. a person who dictates and listens to no one.
a big shame.
 

LG

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Boston was and always has been Tom Scholz's band. That explains the lack of album releases over the decades, and I don't think other than Brad Delp any of the original members on the first two albums are left in the band.

Sometimes when you are the boss you have to kick ass. I understand that. But a truly Great leader of a band or crew of any kind Knows his people and how to get the most out of them while keeping their respect and affection.

Tom Scholz is a control freak and perfectionist, as MP said there are two sides to every story but I think Tom should just stand down and let this whole thing die. After all he isn't the first "Tyrant" leading a band, and won't be the last.
 

Travelin' Man

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Very sad if it's true that the harmony between these two didn't extend beyond the edge of the stage. Brad Delp had a voice that was (IMO) incomparable. I was lucky to have seen Boston on two occasions. The first was on their Don't Look Back tour when they were at their pinocle (Sammy Hagar was the warm-up). I've always considered myself very fortunate to have seen Boston with its original line-up.
The second was in 1996. And while I wished that Barry, Fran and Sib were there, I must admit that the show was still pretty damned good. No.......it was OUTSTANDING! The highlight for me was when Brad and Tom performed an unforgettable version of Man I'll Never Be. It was Tom at the piano and Brad's soaring vocals filling the auditorium.

Did I mention "outstanding?" They just don't do it like that anymore.

If Tom is as litigious as this story makes him out to be (and I hope that he isn't), then he's no better than the corporate attitudes that he rails against.

If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem.
 

Metal Head Mike

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Man This story is all around sad. Brad Delp was such an amazing singer. I hope Tom just lets this go. Like people are saying here there is two sides to the story. Wish someone could've got brad some help. Sounds like he really needed it.
 

LG

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Boston fans know Tom Scholz's history, or most of it. But he is one smart guy, he graduated from MIT with an engineering degree if I remember correctly.

Also he was working for the Polaroid company back in the 70's helping invent new technology for their company, Boston was just a hobby for him.

Anyway after the magic/unexpected success of Boston's debut life changed forever for him. But his strengths that helped make the band successful also doomed them to be among the painfully slowest to release new material, all because Scholz never knew when to stop fussing with a track. It's a damned shame he couldn't let go and hire someone like Mutt Lange to produce their albums.

As far as filing lawsuits go...I hope he loses every one of them, compared to Brad's desperation that led to his suicide Scholz comes across as beyond self absorbed and petty.

I still love the first two records with Brad singing, to me he was an equal partner to Tom's when it came to the success of the band, take him away and we never hear of Boston beyond the Bruins, Celtics etc...
 

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