GARY PIHL (BOSTON guitarist for 22 years, friend for 30):

Everyone I've talked to said they felt they lost a close friend with Brad's passing.

Over the thirty years that I knew him he seemed happiest when he was making music. His enthusiasm for working on our songs never waned.  

On tour, he'd be the first guy to go to any "meet and greet," and he'd be the last guy to get on the bus at the end of the night because he'd be talking and signing autographs for fans who had waited at the back gate.

Brad's opinion was always solid when it came to choosing band mates. Just like sports teams, where players come and go for a variety of reasons, we've worked with some talented people over the years, but I never heard Brad say he didn't want to perform without Fran, or any other individual. The fans have always requested we do the songs Brad sings; most knew Brad as the sound of Boston.  

Rehearsing recently with this five-person core group, Brad seemed his hard-working self, making sure we all knew our parts. Brad even insisted on coming to rehearsal to work with us after he had his minor (but painful) motorcycle accident. He was tireless in his pursuit to get it right, whether it was a guitar solo he needed to play or making the vocal harmonies blend perfectly.  

Pamela often joined us on tour so he was never without her for very long. Brad seemed to be looking forward to the summer shows as much as the rest of us.  

In any interview Brad's ever done he talks about the fun he has performing and meeting the fans.

Boston has only done seven tours in it's thirty year history. Brad could have done anything else he wanted, but he chose to get together with friends from our area to play Beatle songs on weekends. He treated all his fans as friends and his friends were his biggest fans. We'll all miss him.