Tommy DeCarlo of Charlotte, N.C., dreamed of becoming a rock star, listening to his favorite band's albums and memorizing their songs.
"A Boston song would come on and I'd get fired up and I'd start singing it," said DeCarlo, 43, a father of two kids -- Talia, 19, and Tommy Jr., 17."
But dreams didn't pay the bills, so DeCarlo worked as a credit manager at a Home Depot store in Charlotte to support his.
Still, he never gave up singing along to his Boston CDs, and his daughter Talia took notice. She posted a MySpace page of DeCarlo singing karaoke to Boston songs after the band's lead singer, Brad Delp, committed suicide in March 2007. And, in an instant, DeCarlo's whole world turned upside down."
"I wanted to share [the karaoke] with ... other Boston fans," he said."
DeCarlo had to sing with the karaoke track because he had sold his keyboard in 2006, using the extra cash to buy Christmas presents for his children.
Meanwhile, up in Boston, members of the real band were struggling to continue playing as the coped with Delp's suicide."
"My wife was at her computer playing our tunes, and I asked whether it was us playing live," Boston founder Tom Scholz told USA Today. "She said, 'It's some guy in North Carolina singing your songs.' I said, 'I know Brad's voice, and that's Brad.'Still, a skeptical Scholz was intrigued.
"In order to believe it, I had to plug the computer into the big speakers so I could listen to the background music and see if it was the band," Scholz told ABC News. "And I realized it wasn't the band, it was a karaoke track. Somebody was singing to it, and it wasn't Brad.""
So the band decided to give DeCarlo a shot -- as their new lead singer "I was like, 'Wow!'" DeCarlo told "Good Morning America." "I remember calling my wife and kids in the bedroom and I said, 'Look at this e-mail!' I couldn't believe it."
"I was like, 'Oh my goodness, I can't believe this is happening," said Talia DeCarlo. "It was crazy." DeCarlo made his debut onstage at a tribute concert to Brad Delp last August. It was the first time he sang with a band in his entire life. "
Even at the tribute, I heard a few people say it was a little eerie to hear Tommy sing, because it sounded like Brad up there," Scholz said. "My hope is to carry on what Brad meant," DeCarlo said.
DeCarlo and the rest of Boston will begin their summer tour on June 6, 2008, in Thunber Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Tommy....we talked on my show a few months back. You guys will be here soon in the area. Would you be interested in another interview? My outlook express was wiped clean of contacts because of a bug so I've lost your contact info.
HEY,TOMMY! WHAT'S UP? THANKS FOR THE ADD! :-) BOSTON RULES! KEEP ON ROCKI'N US OUT! STOP BY MY PAGE AND CHECK ME OUT OR SEND ME SOME MESSAGES OR COMMENTS SOMETIME! IT WOULD BE SO COOL TO TALK TO OR HEAR FROM YOU!!! THANKS AGAIN, & HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!! :-P
Saw you at Red Rocks Sunday....You guys did great! Even though I can't express how much I miss Brad and felt the lack of him, not being with Boston or us....You definately are a wonderful addition. Sweet was sweet too! Hope you are feeling better now. Get well soon!
Hi Tommy ... Thanks for the add. I saw you on Inside Edition. Wow ! Talking about now living the Rock and Roll dream, how awesome is that... You sound fantastic.
Hi Tom, You are totally famous now! I'm sooo excited for you. Saw you on Inside Addition tonight. Congrats! Would love to see you play in Greenville (?). (Closest to Charlotte?) Drop a line if you can. Rock on! LOL Linda
hey. i know your not the original singer, but you sound awesome. i'm only 16 and i grew up on Boston pretty much. my whole family won tickets from a radio station here in south carolina and can't wait to see you guys and the bi-lo center :] its gonna be great and the best concert ever!
Hey Tommy, You are livin' the dream for all of us "rockers" who can only wish we were where you are.I was lucky enough to see your first show at the "Brad Delp" memorial last August up here in Boston.I did a nice sketch of "Brad Delp" that I would love to send you a copy of, if you would like.Let me know. Keep "Rockin'Away". Jack Rahilly ( the puppy in my photo is named "Delp" ! )
