Boston: The Band

Fun Facts About This Classic Rock Group

Boston Performing in Long Island, New York
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If you have ever heard a song by Boston, you know the band has produced some classic rock gems. Here are some details you may not know about the iconic band.

Members of Boston the Band

First, they got their start -- and their name -- from none other than Boston, Massachusetts. The original members of Boston the band included Tom Scholz on guitar, Brad Delp as the vocalist, Barry Goudreau on guitar, and Jim Masdea on drums. Current members of the group include Tom Scholz, Gary Pihl, Michael Sweet, Tommy DeCarlo, Kimberley Dahme, and Jeff Neal.

A History of the Band Boston

Boston’s beginnings go back to 1969 and a band headed by guitarist Barry Goudreau called Mother’s Milk. Vocalist Brad Delp and drummer Jim Masdea were joined by a recent MIT graduate, Tom Scholz on keyboards. The band didn’t last, but its members spent time in a homemade recording studio in Scholz’s basement recording demo tapes in hopes of making a new start.

Those tapes eventually landed Boston a deal with Epic Records. In 1976, they released Boston, which saw more than 17 million in sales. At a time when disco and punk were starting to emerge as influences, Boston’s traditional rock sound was embraced by radio stations and record buyers.

Like other bands of the era who achieved major commercial success in a short time, there was internal dissension and a tenuous relationship with a record label anxious to capitalize on the huge success of the band’s first album. It would be two years before the band’s second album, Don’t Look Back was released, selling four million copies the first month, but ultimately selling only half as many as the first album. The band has released six albums, including a Greatest Hits compilation.

The legendary Rockman guitar amplifier was a product of Scholz’s own company, which he formed in the early ‘80s and later sold. Scholz and Delp were the only original members of Boston who were still with the band until March 2007 when Delp died at the age of 55. The band resumed touring in 2008 with new vocalists Michael Sweet (from the Christian metal band Stryper) and Tommy DeCarlo, a Boston fan who was recruited after posting some of his covers of Boston songs on MySpace. The band toured in 2015.

Their essential album is undoubtedly Boston. It went gold two months after its release, achieved platinum status the next month, and was ultimately certified 17 times platinum in 2003. It features the four original members, with the addition of Fran Sheehan on bass and Sib Hashian on drums. Every cut on the album can still be found on classic rock radio station playlists.