Tommy DeCarlo, the childhood Boston fan who became the band's frontman, dead at 60

Boston frontman Tommy DeCarlo has died, aged 60.

News of the singer's death today, March 9, was announced by his family, in a short statement on Facebook.

The post reads:

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our Dad, Tommy DeCarlo, on Monday, March 9th, 2026. After being diagnosed with brain cancer last September, he fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end.

During this difficult time, we kindly ask that friends and fans respect our family’s privacy as we grieve and support one another.

Rest in peace, Dad.

With love,

Annie, Talia & Tommy Jr."

Born on April 23, 1965, in Utica, New York, DeCarlo became a fan of AOR superstars Boston at the age of 12, discovering the band via their phenomenally successful self-titled debut album.

Following the death by suicide of frontman Brad Delp, 55, in March 2007, DeCarlo wrote and recorded a tribute song, A Man He’ll Always Be, for his musical hero which he uploaded to MySpace. Upon hearing the song, Boston guitarist and founder Tom Scholz, invited DeCarlo, then a credit manager at Home Depot in Charlotte, North Carolina, to guest with the band at their Come Together: A Tribute to Brad Delp show at Boston's Bank of America Pavilion on August 19, 2007. Soon afterwords, DeCarlo was invited to front the band on tour, and he continued as their vocalist until his passing. He was one of the singers who contributed to their 2013 album, Life, Love & Hope. 

"I never had a voice lesson, but I tell people that I learned from Brad Delp by singing along to Boston’s music on the radio and their albums," DeCarlo told the Southwest Times Record newspaper in 2014. "I feel very blessed to be able to be a part of such a huge band, and I’ll do this for as long as Tom Scholz will have me.I have no regrets in life, except that I never got to meet and sing with Brad Delp.

"I guess, though, that I’m now living the next best thing to singing with Brad," he added. "I get to go out there and now be a part of Boston, this big band that I grew up listening to as a kid. It’s quite an opportunity now, and I’m thankful for this."

In 2022, DeCarlo signed a solo record deal with Frontier Records. His debut album, Dancing in the Moonlight, was released in December 2022.