Shock and sadness continue to cast a pall over the local and regional music community today in the wake of Friday’s untimely death of famed Boston and Beatle Juice frontman Brad Delp.

The 55-year-old musician was found dead in his Atkinson home early Friday afternoon by police responding to a call for help. He was apparently home alone, said officials, who called his death “untimely” and said there was no indication of foul play. Throughout the weekend, Delp’s death remained under investigation by Atkinson police and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s office, who said an incident report with the cause of death is expected to be released today.

Eulogized since Friday by a wide spectrum of musicians and fans as the consummate nice-guy rocker whose singing talent was surpassed only by his kindness and infectious personality, Delp initially rose to rock ’n’ roll prominence in 1976, singing Boston hits “More Than a Feeling” and “Longtime” after joining the band in the early ’70s. A lifetime music enthusiast, Delp worked on several side projects over the years, including forming the widely popular Beatles tribute band Beatle Juice roughly a decade ago.

On Friday night, an obviously devastated Bill Faulkner, a close, longtime friend of Delp, said he was still in shock.

“I have no words . . . I don’t know, I just don’t know . . .” Faulkner managed, speaking barely above a whisper.

Word of Delp’s death arrived just two to three hours before Beatle Juice was scheduled to take the stage at Johnny D’s in Somerville, Mass.

Crew members suddenly abandoned the stage setup after drummer John “Muzz” Mussey called around 5 p.m., one report stated. Bartenders said patrons huddled, some crying, others bringing in flowers.

Immediately, countless tributes for Delp began showing up on Web sites and were called in to New England radio stations. Boston’s official site, www.bandboston.com, was taken down Friday and replaced with the simple phrase, “We just lost the nicest guy in rock ‘n roll,” scripted across a black background.

“Brad was the kind of guy who’d always remember your name, no matter when you saw him last,” said Jim Hinkle of Nashua, a member of the longtime band Aces & Eights, who met Delp through Faulkner and frequented Beatle Juice shows.

“He was real, as genuine a man as you get,” Hinkle said. “Those stories you hear about him staying for hours after shows to sign autographs and talk with people – they’re all true.

“This is just horrid, horrid news.” blog comments powered by Disqus