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Barry Goudreau | |
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 Goudreau performing c. 1970s | |
| Background information | |
| Born | November 29, 1951 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Website | barrygoudreau |
Barry Goudreau (born November 29, 1951) [1] is an American musician. He was one of two original guitarists for the rock band Boston alongside founder Tom Scholz; both Scholz and Goudreau shared lead and rhythm guitar parts.
Goudreau had developed a musical interest at an early age and got his first guitar, an acoustic which he borrowed from a friend, at age 11. He began taking lessons and by age 13, joined his first band, the "Tornadoes". At age 15, he joined another band with future Boston bandmate drummer Sib Hashian. They would often play at nightclubs, sometimes seven times a week. Later, he met up with Brad Delp and Fran Sheehan, both future members of Boston. He auditioned for Delp's band, but did not make the cut.
When he went to college at Boston University, he sought to get a degree in Geology. He tried to put music aside to focus on school, but he soon met up with Tom Scholz who was right across the river at MIT.
Goudreau worked with Tom Scholz and Brad Delp as early as 1969 on an initial set of demo tapes, where he performed all of the rhythm and lead guitar work. These early attempts to attract record label interest did not succeed.
Later, Scholz re-worked and re-recorded some of these demo songs and wrote several new songs for a second set of demo tapes, this time with Scholz performing all of the guitar, bass and keyboard parts. This second demo set won a recording contract with Epic Records.
In late 1979, Scholz became involved in legal and contractual battles with the band's manager, and later with CBS. Thereafter, he informed the members of Boston that he would not be working on Boston material for at least a year and that they should feel free to do solo projects.
By this time, Goudreau had written many songs in hopes that Scholz would incorporate them into the next Boston LP. [1] Scholz did not express interest in using any of Goudreau's work. In 1980, Goudreau recorded his first solo LP titled Barry Goudreau . He played all the instruments except the drums played by his bandmate Sib Hashian. Brad Delp and Fran Cosmo shared the lead vocals. [1] John Boylan, who co-produced Boston's first album, also co-produced this album, which was commercially only modestly successful. Ultimately, it was this album that triggered Scholz at some point to ask Goudreau to leave Boston, although for several years, Goudreau was still officially a band member.
In late 1981, Boston announced that they were working on a third album, but Third Stage did not appear until 1986, and Goudreau's contributions (if any) to the protracted recording sessions were not credited. Along the way, in 1983, Goudreau and the other four members of the classic lineup were sued by CBS for not completing the album in a timely manner.
In 1984, Goudreau formed the band Orion The Hunter and released a debut LP. [1] This time, Fran Cosmo appeared as lead vocalist, while Delp provided backing vocals and co-wrote five of the album's songs. The album included the single "So You Ran". The band then added keyboardist and backing vocalist Brian Maes and toured in support of Aerosmith in 1984 but ultimately broke up in 1985.
In 1990, Goudreau formed the band RTZ (Return to Zero). [1] Delp left Boston to join the band. [1] RTZ experienced some success with the hits "Face the Music" written by Goudreau and Maes and "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" written by Maes. Delp and Goudreau felt that the record company was not supporting the band to the best of their abilities, and asked to be released from their contract. They later signed with MTM Records; however, Delp departed shortly after to rejoin Boston.
In 1997, Goudreau appeared with the Lisa Guyer Band on the album Gypsy Girl and in 2000 on the album Leap of Faith. [2]
In 1998, RTZ regrouped to release their second album Lost with less success than the debut.
In 2003, Goudreau and Delp teamed up for their independent recording of Delp and Goudreau. The single "It's What You Leave Behind" received limited radio airplay.
In 2005, Goudreau and the members of RTZ released two CDs of songs that were earmarked for the never-realized third RTZ CD. The albums were released in the USA on Briola Records as Lost in America and Found in America. Goudreau continues to perform with Sheehan in small, local venues in the greater Boston area. He also played occasionally with Delp and Hashian until their deaths in 2007 and 2017, respectively.
On October 16, 2007, Goudreau released one final song with Delp on vocals titled "Rockin' Away". According to Goudreau, "'Rockin' Away' was written in the summer of 2006 for the 30th Anniversary of the release of the first "Boston" record. It was the last song that Brad and I wrote together. In it, Brad reflects on how he became involved in music, and thanks his many fans for their years of loyalty. It was my hope that the song might lead to a rekindling of my relationship with the band. Unfortunately it did not." The song was a minor hit in early 2008, charting up to #18 on the America's Music ranking of rock radio airplay. [3]
Goudreau was a member of Ernie and the Automatics with Sib Hashian, Tim Archibald, Brian Maes, Michael Antunes and "car guy" Ernie Boch, Jr. Their debut album Low Expectations was released on February 17, 2009. Ernie and the Automatics disbanded in 2011.
After Delp's death, the remaining RTZ members reunited to record "Set The Songbird Free", which was written by Brian Maes. "We wanted this to be a tribute to the love and respect that we all share for our bandmate and friend Brad," recalls Maes.
On February 25, 2012, Goudreau played a three-hour set with Sheehan and others in the "All Star Jam" to benefit the Sydney and Berne Davis Art Center in Ft Myers Florida.
Goudreau formed Barry Goudreau's Engine Room with Brian Maes, Tim Archibald, Tony DePietro, Mary Beth Maes, Joanie Cicatelli and Terri O'Soro. They released their first CD "Full Steam Ahead" in September 2017. Since 2014, Goudreau has also toured with the American Vinyl All Star Band, which also includes Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. Goudreau also occasionally appears with Scrap Metal, a supergroup formed by Gunner and Matthew Nelson, twin sons of Musician Ricky Nelson.
On September 3, 2022, Goudreau was inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame while on stage at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. [4]
Goudreau now lives with his wife Connie in Swampscott, Massachusetts. They have two children: Sean, a mortgage executive, and Michele, a health and wellness coordinator. They also have three grandchildren, Alyssa, Sammy and Matthew.
Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 by Tom Scholz in Boston, Massachusetts, that experienced significant commercial success during the 1970s and 1980s. The band's core members include multi-instrumentalist, founder and leader Scholz, who played the majority of instruments on the band's 1976 self-titled debut album, and former lead vocalist Brad Delp, among a number of other musicians who varied from album to album.
Boston is the debut studio album by American rock band Boston, released on August 25, 1976, by Epic Records. It was produced by Tom Scholz and John Boylan. A multi-instrumentalist and engineer who had been involved in the Boston music scene since the late 1960s, Scholz started to write and record demos in his apartment basement with singer Brad Delp, but received numerous rejections from major record labels. The demo tape fell into the hands of CBS-owned Epic, who signed the band in 1975.
Don't Look Back is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 by Epic Records. The album reached No. 1 in both the US and Canada, and No. 9 in the UK. The title track helped with the album's success, reaching No. 4 in 1978 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of the band's biggest hits. The album sold over one million copies in the ten days following its release and was certified 7× platinum by the RIAA in the US on April 11, 1996.
Third Stage is the third studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on September 26, 1986, on MCA Records. It was recorded at Boston co-founder Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, strained, six-year period "between floods and power failures". Scholz and vocalist Brad Delp were the only original members. The lyrics invoke themes of aging and working through stages in life. The first track and lead single, "Amanda", became a number one hit and one of the group's best known songs. The album itself was eventually certified 4× platinum by the RIAA.
Walk On is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on June 7, 1994, by MCA Records. It is the band’s only album to date not to feature vocalist Brad Delp, though he did assist as a songwriter. Vocal duties were handled by Fran Cosmo, making this his first appearance on a Boston album. Delp and Cosmo shared leads during the album's supporting tour and the album’s follow-up Corporate America.
"More Than a Feeling" is a song by the American rock band Boston, released as the lead single from the band's 1976 debut album by Epic Records in September 1976, with "Smokin'" as the B-side. Tom Scholz wrote the whole song. The single entered the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 18 and peaked at number five. The track is now a staple of classic rock radio, and in 2008, it was named the 39th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1. It was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and is ranked number 212 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", updated from its previous position of number 500 on the 2004 version.
RTZ was an American rock band that featured Boston band members Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau. The band was formed in the early 1990s.
Bradley Edward Delp was an American musician who was the original lead singer and frontman of the rock band Boston. He joined the band in 1970 and appeared on every album with the exception of Walk On (1994) and also participated in every tour prior to his death in 2007. Delp was known for his "unique and soulful singing and the vocal range of his 'golden' voice". ILoveClassicRock.com ranked Delp third on its list of the top 10 male classic rock vocalists; it described Delp's tenor voice as "flawless" and "effortless".
Greatest Hits is the only compilation album by American rock band Boston. Released on June 3, 1997, the album features songs originally released on both the Epic and MCA record labels, as well as three previously unreleased recordings. Tom Scholz, the band's leader, felt that the album's audio quality was not up to his standards, so a remastered version of the album was released in 2009 with a slightly different track listing. Boston embarked on a tour for this album both times it was released.
"Foreplay/Long Time" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by Tom Scholz. It appears on their 1976 self-titled debut album and is their second single for Epic Records. The song combines an instrumental introduction, "Foreplay", with the main song "Long Time", generally played as one on the radio and listed as one track on the album. "Long Time" peaked at No. 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 the week ending March 5, 1977. It reached the Top 10 in Canada, peaking at No. 9. The standalone "Foreplay" was released as the B-side of Boston's next single "Peace of Mind", which was released in April.
"Don't Look Back" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by main songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Tom Scholz. It was released as the title track and first single from their second studio album, Don't Look Back (1978). It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the band's biggest hits.
Fran Sheehan is an American rock musician best known for being the bass player in the early incarnation of the rock band Boston.
Orion the Hunter was a 1980s rock band and offshoot of the popular band Boston. It featured former Boston members Barry Goudreau on guitars and Brad Delp on backing vocals, as well as future Boston lead vocalist Fran Cosmo.
Donald Thomas Scholz is an American musician. He is the founder, main songwriter, primary guitarist, keyboardist, and only remaining original member of the rock band Boston. He has appeared on every Boston release. Scholz, a multi-instrumentalist, plays guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums.
John Thomas "Sib" Hashian was an American musician, best known as a drummer for the rock band Boston.
Ernie and the Automatics were an American blues rock band based in Boston. Guitarist Barry Goudreau and drummer Sib Hashian are both former members of Boston.
Brian Maes is an American musician. He graduated from Lynn Classical High School in 1974 and from Berklee College of Music in 1979.
Barry Goudreau is the only studio album by American guitarist and former Boston member Barry Goudreau. The album features Goudreau's bandmates with Boston Brad Delp on lead vocals, Sib Hashian on drums and Fran Cosmo, the album displays a sound very similar to that of Boston's first two releases, Boston (1976) and Don't Look Back (1978). However, neither this album nor any of Goudreau's subsequent releases with other acts proved to be as commercially successful as his work with Boston. The album was released in 1980 and is Goudreau's only solo album. The song "Dreams" was released as a single in 1980, nearly cracking the USBillboard Hot 100. It still receives airplay on classic rock radio stations, as does "Mean Woman Blues".
Delp And Goudreau features Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau with Tim Archibald, Brian Maes, David Stefanelli, Patty Barkus, Lou Spagnola, and Jack o-Soro. The album was recorded in Goudreau's home studio, featuring new tracks written by Delp and Goudreau. Archibald, Maes and Stefanelli also served in Delp and Goudreau's post-Boston RTZ and played on their first and second records.
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