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 the group, now called Boston, a deal with Epic
Records, and in 1976 they released what would become the biggest selling debut
album in history, with sales exceeding 17-million. 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.
Boston Weathers the Storms:
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 just 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 80's 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.
* In partnership with Agency for the Performing Arts
