We lost one of the all-time greatest vocalists in rock Friday, as Boston lead singer Brad Delp was discovered dead at his home at the shockingly premature age of 55. Brad was gifted with an awe-inspiring voice that he used to great effect with Boston and later with RTZ. Not only did he provide the lead, but also the background AND harmony vocals, too. In other words, those perfect and soaring choruses that made our jaws drop were actually all HIM. All this was done without the studio tricks that are now very commonly used to "sweeten" or "correct" vocal tracks by lesser singers. Even 31 years after the release of the debut album from Boston (which sold an amazing 17 million copies), Brad could still effortlessly hit all those notes live in concert. In addition to his prodigious talent, Brad was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I hung out with him on several occasions and found him to be a most genuine, gentle soul who quietly went about his business with no airs or ego, just a shy smile. Brad Delp was truly one of the "nice guys." At the time of his death, he was preparing for a summer 2007 Boston tour and to marry his long time girlfriend. The tour was officially scrapped by band leader and guitarist Tom Scholz only hours after the news broke. In the words of Tom, "there can be no Boston without Brad." Indeed. Thanks for the music Brad... you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Sadly... also over the weekend, successful and very funny comedian/actor Richard Jeni died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in West Hollywood, CA. Details are sketchy at this point. Richard was only 45 (or 49, depending on the cited source). I fondly remember Richard stopping by on my show many a time over the years to say hello and share a few funny stories. Most times, later that evening I would then bring him on stage at a local comedy venue or theatre. After the show, the joking and laughing continued backstage. I'll miss 'ya Rich. Thanks for all the laughs. "Lord!"