Boston star Tommy DeCarlo dies at the age of 60 music

Tommy DiCarlo, lead singer of American rock band Boston since 2007, has died of brain cancer, his family has confirmed.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our father, Tommy DiCarlo, on Monday, March 9, 2026,” they wrote in a statement. “After being diagnosed with brain cancer last September, he fought with incredible strength and courage to the end. During this difficult time, we ask friends and fans to respect our family’s privacy as we grieve and support each other.”

The family had previously shared a GoFundMe page asking to support the singer’s medical bills after he suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage and underwent an emergency craniotomy in September. Doctors discovered two melanoma masses in his brain and one in his lungs. After treatment, DiCarlo was hospitalized with another brain bleed.

DeCarlo joined Boston in 2007 after original forward Brad Delp killed himself. DeCarlo, a lifelong Boston fan, posted an original tribute song to Delp on MySpace, along with covers of the band’s “Don’t Look Back” and “Smokin’,” which he sent to the band’s management with an offer to perform at a Delp tribute concert.

They refused—until founding band member Tom Schulz heard the cover and invited DeCarlo to perform with the remaining band members. “I haven’t heard anyone else sing like that in 35 years,” Schulz was quoted as saying in his biography on the band’s website. DiCarlo then worked as a credit manager at Home Depot in North Carolina, and gave his first gig — other than karaoke slots at the local bowling alley — at the 5,000-capacity Bank of America Pavilion in Boston.

The group then invited him to join the band. “The scariest time for me was when I walked into training and met them all for the first time,” DiCarlo said. “As I walked into the building where rehearsals were taking place, I heard the sound of a drum in the distance. I walked through the doors and couldn’t believe it… There was a ‘Don’t Look Back’ rehearsal in Boston.

DeCarlo was born and raised in Utica, New York. A sports fan as a child, he discovered music by singing in the school choir – and taught himself to play the piano at the age of 14 – but he credits Delp with teaching him a love of singing.

“When I first started listening to Boston as a young teenager, I absolutely loved Brad’s voice and how he sang those classic songs,” DiCarlo said in his biography on Boston’s website. “It wasn’t like I was trying to sing like Brad, I was just loving singing with him.”

DeCarlo sang on the band’s 2013 album, Life, Love & Hope, the only full-length release released after he joined the group.

They last toured Boston in 2017 with support from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. While performing their music live, DiCarlo said, “It’s almost indescribable. It’s an amazing feeling and it’s something the fans and band members share together in that moment of music.”

Schulz was working on a new album. Guitarist Gary Bell said last year that he hoped the band would tour in 2026 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their 1976 self-titled debut album.

DeCarlo and his wife, Annie, had two children. DeCarlo also formed the band Decarlo with his son Tommy DeCarlo Jr. in 2012.

“Dreams are what give us hope and inspiration,” DiCarlo told the Pensacola News Journal in 2015. “And that’s something you have to hold on to.”