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'''Amy Elizabeth Fisher''' (born [[August 21]] [[1974]]), dubbed the "Long Island [[Lolita]]" by the press, is an American woman convicted of the[[1992]] shooting of wife of her lover, with whom she began an affair as a 16 year-old student at [[Bellmore-Kennedy High School|Kennedy High School]] in [[Bellmore, New York]]. Fisher served seven years in prison for aggravated assault, and was released in [[1999]]. The case drew a great deal of media attention, and Fisher has become a [[writer]] since that time.
{{current}}
{{recent death|Delp, Brad}}
{{Unreferenced|article|date=February 2007}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Boston
| Img = BostonCurrent.jpg
| Background = group_or_band
| Origin = [[Boston, Massachusetts]]
| Instrument =
| Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]<br>[[Arena rock]]<br>[[Hard rock]]
| Years_active = 1976–present
| Label = [[Epic Records]] (1976–1986)<br />[[MCA Records]] (1986–2002)<br />[[Artemis Records]] (2002–present)
| Associated_acts =
| URL =
| Current_members = [[Tom Scholz]]<br />[[Gary Pihl]]<br />[[Kimberly Dahme]]<br />[[Jeff Neal]]
| Past_members = [[Brad Delp]] (Deceased)<br>Jim Masdea<br>[[Barry Goudreau]]<br>David Currier<br>[[Sib Hashian]]<br>Fran Sheehan<br>David Sikes<br>Doug Huffman<br>Curly Smith<br>[[Fran Cosmo]]<br>Anthony Cosmo<br>Tom Hambridge<br>Tom Moonan<br>Anthony Citrinite
}}
'''Boston''' is an [[United States|American]] [[rock music|rock]] [[rock band|band]] that achieved its most notable successes during the [[1970s]] and [[1980s]]. Centered on [[guitarist]], [[songwriter]], and [[record producer|producer]] [[Tom Scholz]], the band is a staple of [[classic rock]] radio playlists. Boston's best-known works include the singles "[[More Than a Feeling]]," "[[Peace of Mind (1976 song)|Peace of Mind]]," "[[Foreplay/Long Time]]," "[[Don't Look Back (album)|Don't Look Back]]," "[[Smokin' (Boston song)|Smokin']]" and "[[Amanda (song)|Amanda]]."
==Biography==
Fisher was born in [[Merrick, New York|Merrick]], [[New York]] to an [[Italian American]] mother and a [[Jewish American]] father.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6D91739F93AA2575AC0A965958260</ref> Fisher (then aged 16) met [[Joey Buttafuoco]] in May [[1991]], when she took her car to his auto shop for repairs, shortly after which they began a sexual affair. In August 1991, when Fisher needed money, Joey set her up to work with an [[escort agency]], and the torrid affair continued while Fisher was apparently working as a [[prostitute]]. (On June 27th, 2007, Fisher claimed on ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' that she lied about being a prostitute). Fisher apparently asked Joey to leave his wife, [[Mary Jo Buttafuoco|Mary Jo]], who knew nothing of their relationship, but he refused.
On [[May 19]], 1992, Fisher, then aged 17, had an accomplice drive her to the Buttafuoco's home in [[Massapequa, New York]]. She got out of the car and rang the doorbell. When Mary Jo Buttafuoco answered the door, Fisher shot her in the head on the front porch. Mary Jo was severely injured,
being paralyzed on the right side of her face, but survived and was able to describe a T-shirt from her husband's auto body shop that her assailant had been wearing. Joey realized then that the shooter was Fisher, to whom he had given the shirt as a gift, and identified her to the police.
The crime and the back story drew a great deal of interest from the press. A movie production company had offered the Fisher family $80,000 for movie rights, which was accepted and then used to post bail. The situation would have made the money eligible for seizure under New York's [[Son of Sam law]], though it was not invoked.
===Early years (pre-1976)===
Boston began when Tom Scholz, an [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] engineering graduate who worked at [[Polaroid]], began to create a series of tape recordings in his home studio accompanied by [[guitarist]] [[Barry Goudreau]] and [[drummer]] Jim Masdea, with whom Scholz played in a prior band. Scholz soon became frustrated with the limitations of the technology at the time and his inability to capture the sound he wanted. He soon began building and designing his own equipment.
Fisher was charged with multiple counts, including [[attempted murder]], but pled guilty to one count of [[aggravated assault]], and in December 1992, was sentenced to 5 - 15 years in prison.
The first tapes Scholz produced were rejected by the record labels. A second set of tapes with Scholz on guitar (which he learned to play in Goudreau's band), newly hired [[singer]] [[Brad Delp]] on vocals and Masdea on drums, drew the attention of executives at [[Epic Records]], a division of [[CBS Records|CBS]]. The label was dissatisfied with Masdea's performance, and he was replaced by [[Sib Hashian]]. The label also insisted that Scholz re-record the demo tapes in a professional studio with a full band, which led to the hiring of [[bassist]] [[Fran Sheehan]]. With the exception of "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", which was recorded in California, Scholz duped the record company and re-recorded the other seven tracks in his home studio.
Based on a signed receipt from a Long Island hotel dated a matter of days before Fisher's 17th birthday, Joey Buttafuoco was charged with [[statutory rape]] and was convicted in October [[1993]], serving
===Debut album (1976)===
four months in jail for the crime.
The resulting album, ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'', was an enormous success and helped revive the popularity of mainstream rock at a time when [[punk rock|punk]] and [[disco]] were becoming more popular. It ranks as the best selling debut album in USA history, with over 17 million copies sold.
Fisher served her prison sentence at the [[Albion Correctional Facility]] in New York. During her time at Albion, Fisher claimed she was [[rape]]d by a correctional officer at the prison; she began a legal case against the guard and requested to be moved to a different prison. After pursuing the case for some time, she eventually dropped it after several legal setbacks, claiming that she no longer had faith that the system would do anything to help her. (Rape charges against guards at the prison by other inmates in subsequent years did lead to a series of successful convictions, however). It has been suggested that Fisher's charges were motivated by the desire to be transferred to [[Bedford Hills Correctional Facility]] so that she could be nearer to her mother.{{Views needing attribution|date=July 2007}}
[[Image:Boston1317.jpg|thumb|left|Boston's first, [[Eponym|eponymous]] album cover]]
During the summer of 1976 Boston would get great publicity when they toured with [[Black Sabbath]] and [[Moxy (band)|Moxy]] throughout [[Texas]]; after which they got a loyal fan base in Texas. The band then embarked on a worldwide tour to support the new album. This helped establish Boston as one of rock's top acts within a short time. <ref name="rockwell">Rockwell, Jorn (February 12, 1977). Rock: Boston Heads a Triple Bill. ''[[New York Times]]''</ref>
In [[1999]], after seven years in prison, [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]] [[District Attorney]] [[Denis Dillon]] consented to the vacating of Fisher's original [[plea bargain]], and a new plea entered with a
Tensions later developed between Epic, which wanted a big follow up album to capitalize on the success of ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'' and Scholz, who wanted to be painstaking in the recording process.
3-10 year sentence, ensuring her immediate release. (This legal motion
was done pursuant to the wishes of Mary Jo Buttafuoco). Fisher was granted [[parole]] and released.
After her release from prison, Fisher became a [[columnist]] for the ''[[Long Island Press]]'', winning a Media Award for Column/News from the [[Society of Professional Journalists]] in [[2004]]. She wrote a book about her experiences, entitled ''If I Knew Then'', published in 2004. The ''Long Island Press'' [http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=159&show=article&a_id=6920 announced Fisher's departure] from the newspaper in late December, [[2005]]. She continues to be actively involved in campaigning for prisoners' rights.
===''Don't Look Back'' (1978)===
Despite much bickering between Epic and Scholz, the second Boston album had the finishing touches put on it just two years after the debut album release. The result was ''[[Don't Look Back (album)|Don't Look Back]]'', which was officially released by Epic in 1978.
Fisher was married in [[2003]] to Louis Bellera, with whom she has two children – Brett, born in [[2001]], and Ava Rose, born in [[2005]].
At the time this was considered a long gap between albums, but Scholz still considered ''Don't Look Back'' to be a rush job and was unhappy with the album's second side in particular. This was confirmed on the [[Third Stage]] episode of "In the Studio with Redbeard" when he said that "CBS had no confidence in a second Boston album" and "Epic/CBS was trying to cash in on the success of the debut album". Although it sold four million copies in its first month, ''Don't Look Back'' sold under one half as well as the first album.
In 2006, Amy Fisher reunited with Mary Jo Buttafuoco in sessions televised for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and its spinoff ''The Insider''. Fisher
Another tour followed, and the album's title track was a hit, but Scholz's relationship with Epic began to deteriorate as Scholz began the slow process of working on Boston's third album due to his determination to complete the album at his own pace.
said she wanted to heal her past and move on with her life. Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco reunited at the 2006 [[Lingerie Bowl]] for the coin toss.
On May 13th, 2007, ''The New York Post'' reported that Amy Fisher had left her husband and Joey left his girlfriend, and were both reportedly
===Boston disintegrates (1979 to early 1980s)===
going on a date near Central Park on Monday, May 14th, 2007 to either reconcile or pitch an idea where they would cohabitate for a reality series. <ref>{{citation | last=Fanelli | first=James | last2=Li | first2=David K. | title=Amy & Joey Set Date For Love | newspaper=New York Post | year=2007 | date=May 13 | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05132007/news/regionalnews/amy__joey_set_date_for_love_regionalnews_james_fanelli_and_david_k__li.htm}}</ref> Many similar articles ran in ''The Post'' in a lead-up to a possible reality series, but neither Joey nor Amy were quoted confirming their supposed romantic reconciliation. Indeed, Joey's second wife Evanka withdrew her divorce petition on June 22, 2007, in an apparent reconciliation.<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/06222007/news/regionalnews/buttafuoco_wife_nixes_divorce_bid_regionalnews_kieran_crowley.htm BUTTAFUOCO WIFE NIXES DIVORCE BID] By KIERAN CROWLEY for The New York Post June 22 2007. Accessed July 9 2007</ref>
In mid-1979, Goudreau became increasingly eager to get back to recording and became disenchanted with the amount of time Scholz was taking to write new material and record in the studio. As a result Goudreau entered the studio to record a solo project and produced a solo album which featured Boston members Delp and Hashian. The album was entitled simply "Barry Goudreau" and featured a minor hit with the single "Dreams".
== Books by Amy Fisher ==
At the time, Scholz was attempting to reconcile outstanding issues with Epic and indicated to band members that they were free to pursue solo projects for the time being. Goudreau has said that he felt he had Scholz's blessing to do the album, however Scholz's reaction shows that it wasn't as clear cut as that.
[[Image:If I knew then Amy Fisher.jpg|thumb|120px|right|2004 book]][[Image:Amy Fisher My Story.jpg|thumb|160px|left|1994 book]]
* Fisher, Amy & Robbie Woliver (2004). ''If I Knew Then''. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-32445-2.
* Fisher, Amy with Sheila Weller (1994). ''Amy Fisher: My Story'' (reprint edition). ISBN 0-671-86559-5. (Originally published by Pocket Books in 1993; ISBN 0-671-86558-7.)
== Books about Amy Fisher ==
The ''Barry Goudreau'' album had a very Boston-like sound which drew great ire from Scholz. Scholz was not happy with CBS marketing the Goudreau project as '''Almost'' Boston', and allegedly sought to reduce corporate support for the project behind the scenes. Goudreau later claimed Scholz attempted to derail his solo career. Goudreau, Hashian, and Sheehan later filed lawsuits against Scholz for back royalties, thus ending the run of the classic Boston lineup.
* Dominguez, Pier (2001). ''Amy Fisher: Anatomy of a Scandal: The Myth, the Media and the Truth Behind the Long Island Lolita Story''. Writers Club Press. ISBN 0-595-18417-0.
* Eftimiades, Maria (1992). ''Lethal Lolita: A True Story of Sex, Scandal and Deadly Obsession''. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-95062-4.
== TV movies ==
Scholz claims that Goudreau, Hashian, and Sheehan attempted to wrest the Boston name away from him, in order to continue on as a band with Goudreau as the only guitarist. It became clear that some of the other band members (excluding Delp) wanted to produce more music and tour more frequently without the constraints that Scholz put on them. Scholz's work pace and perfectionism kept the band on the shelf for long periods of time, and the other band members, along with the record label, eagerly wanted to capitalize on Boston's success while the name was as popular as it was in the late 1970's.
* ''Amy Fisher: My Story'' (1992)<ref>{{imdb title|0103682|title=Amy Fisher: My Story}}</ref> Amy Fisher played by Noelle Parker
* ''[[Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story]]'' (1993)<ref>{{imdb title|0106527|title=Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story}}</ref> Amy Fisher played by [[Alyssa Milano]]
* ''The Amy Fisher Story'' (1993)<ref>{{imdb title|0106267|title=The Amy Fisher Story}}</ref> Amy Fisher played by [[Drew Barrymore]]
Fisher also agreed to appear on a televised reunion special with the Buttafuocos, which was shown on [[May 7]], [[2006]] on [[The Insider]]<ref>[http://insider.tv.yahoo.com/ The Insider]</ref>
Scholz claims that this attempt to remove him from Boston was done with the knowledge and assistance of Epic/CBS. In fact, the case later went to trial and Scholz emerged victorious. Scholz has stated on numerous occasions that this process left him extremely jaded and wary of record labels and outside musicians.
== Popular Culture References ==
Goudreau and Hashian have continued to pursue solo careers and are currently involved with a charity organization run by prominent Boston area car salesman Ernie Boch Jr.
* On the episode of [[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]] titled [[List of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes#Season_Three_.281992-1993.29|Ain't No Business Like Show Business (s3e22)]], Will tells the following joke to Uncle Phil:
:: '''Will:''' Knock Knock.
===CBS lawsuit (1980-1985)===
:: '''Phil:''' Who's There?
CBS filed a [[lawsuit]] alleging breach of contract, further slowing progress toward the next album, which was now being recorded in much the same way the original tapes were, in Scholz's home studio, with Delp, Masdea, and former [[Sammy Hagar]] guitarist [[Gary Pihl]]. The former members of Boston would later claim that they also played on the tracks recorded during this time, though none have officially received credit for playing on any of the tracks except for Delp who remained an official member of Boston.
:: '''Will:''' Amy Fisher.
:: '''Phil:''' Amy F-
During this time, CBS withheld royalty payments to Scholz, leaving him without funds to continue recording a new Boston album. However, Scholz rallied and was able to finance the new album by designing and building guitar equipment and selling it to other artists, such as [[ZZ Top]], [[Ted Nugent]] and [[Journey (band)|Journey]] guitarist [[Neal Schon]].
:: '''Will:''' (points finger like a gun) BANG!
* In the film, [[Addams Family Values]], one of the [[trading cards]] in the collection of infamous serial killers and murderers Pugsley trades with another camper is that of Amy Fisher (misspelled "Fischer.")
Throughout all of the adversity, progress continued to be made on the still untitled third Boston album. A tape of a song they had been working on, "Amanda", leaked out of the studio in 1984 and was widely [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]]ged throughout the fan community who were eager for new material. While the sound was somewhat different from the first two Boston albums, the result was strong praise and support from the band's fans.
* On January 9, 1993, [[Saturday Night Live]] spoofed the popularity of the Amy Fisher movies with several versions they saw specific [[cable television]] networks airing. The included an [[A&E Network]] production of [[Masterpiece Theatre]] with an all-[[United Kingdom|British]] cast with the exception of Joey Buttafucco's role which was played by [[Danny DeVito]], called ''"The House of Buttafuoco"''. Additionally, there was [[BET]] production titled ''"Amy Fisher: One Messed-Up Bitch"'', with an all black cast featuring [[Ellen Cleghorne]] as Amy, [[Tim Meadows]] as Joey, and [[Chris Rock]] as Mary Jo.[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/92/92j.phtml]
*[[In Living Color]] poked fun of the scandal by presenting a sketch where Amy (played by [[Alexandra Wentworth]]) promotes her ''Bang for Your Bucks'' seminar from her prison cell along with Joey ([[Jim Carrey]]). Later in the sketch Mary Jo ([[Kelly Coffield]]) walks in and disturbs the couple while they are discussing their money making scheme to the public in the form of an [[informercial]]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaBZS4KEFCY&mode=related&search=]
===''Third Stage'' (1986-1990)===
"Amanda" became the lead single when ''[[Third Stage]]'' was finally released in 1986, after [[MCA Records]] bought out Boston's contract. Loosely built around the theme of life's "third stage" (the onset of [[middle age]]), the album was a big hit and was widely discussed in the non-music press. During Boston's subsequent tour the new album was played, in sequence, in its entirety. This disappointed many fans over the course of the tour.
When Scholz was asked why he wanted the album played straight through, he responded by saying that the album was a story, and had to be told start to finish. Boston also participated in a local [[benefit concert|charity concert]] sponsored by [[Tea Party Concerts]] to benefit [[AIDS]]. This move was lauded by local radio personalities, owing to the stigma attached to AIDS at that time. Boston has continued involvement in a number of charities, including anti-domestic violence groups and local homeless programs. (Boston Herald, 1988; Boston Globe, 1988; bandboston.com). In 1990 a jury ruled in favor of Scholz in the CBS lawsuit, and the court awarded him 1.6 million dollars in punitive damages.
===Delp departs & ''Walk On'' (1991-1994)===
In the wake of ''Third Stage'', Scholz headed back to the studio to work on an album tentatively entitled Boston IV. This was the first album without Delp, because of his prior commitment to [[Barry Goudreau]]'s band [[RTZ]]. The departure of Delp officially reduced Boston to a one man band, and left Scholz as the last original member.
For the first time in the history of the band, there was a significant deficiency of songs and ideas for the project. The loss of Delp in 1991 (and, to a degree, Goudreau in 1980) had a significant effect on the songwriting ability and musical output of Scholz. Both Delp and Goudreau were prolific songwriters and musical influences in their own right, and their abilities and presence were sorely missed during the recording and writing sessions. This is clearly evident in the fact that the Walk On sessions marked the first instance where outside songwriters were brought in to assist Scholz in fleshing out an entire Boston album.
With Scholz working at his usual slow pace, 8 years passed before ''[[Walk On]]'' was released. ''[[Walk On]]'' included vocalist [[Fran Cosmo]] who had previously performed in Goudreau's band, ''[[Orion the Hunter]]'', a project that also featured songwriting and backing vocals from Delp. Unlike the previous albums, Walk On only went platinum and reached #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, somewhat lower than the multi platinum and Top 5 placing Boston had achieved with previous efforts. It produced no hit singles, although "I Need Your Love" did well on rock radio and did chart on the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart.
Many attribute the lesser success of Walk On to the loss of Delp's signature vocals, the centerpiece (along with Scholz's guitar work) of earlier Boston albums. While Cosmo was an able replacement, he clearly did not have the same soaring range that Delp did in the studio and live in concert. In both cases Cosmo's vocals had to be accentuated by backing vocalists as he could not match Delp's vocal prowess and capture the same sound, in particular on classic Boston songs.
Boston fans were surprised to learn that Delp was not a part of the album since his vocals are so synonymous with the Boston "sound". The fact that he had officially departed was not disclosed by the record label, seemingly to ensure good initial sales. In many cases, Delp's departure was only discovered by fans upon purchasing Walk On, hearing the tracks and referring to the band credits.
Ironically, while missing out on the recording of the album, Delp left [[RTZ]] and re-joined Boston for the Walk On tour, sharing lead vocal duties with Cosmo on stage.
===Later history (1994-2006)===
On the heels of the Walk On tour, Boston released their first ever Greatest Hits package in 1997 entitled simply "Boston: Greatest Hits". The album was a moderate success going double platinum. The album featured all of the charting classics, along with 3 new songs, including "Higher Power", the first new Boston song with Delp on vocals since 1986. The album also included "Tell Me" with bassist David Sikes on vocals and a live version of the "[[Star Spangled Banner]]".
Scholz again headed back to the studio in 1998 in order to work on their fifth album. Several songs were released live and online prior to the release of the album including "Someone" performed live on the radio show Rockline, and "Corporate America" which was released on MP3.com.
Five years passed before the official release of ''[[Corporate America (album)|Corporate America]]'' on Artemis Records in 2002. This album featured the largest Boston lineup ever; returning members include Delp and Cosmo on lead vocals, Scholz on lead Guitar, Gary Pihl on rhythm guitar, along with new members [[Jeff Neal]] on drums, Fran Cosmo's son Anthony on rhythm guitar, and [[Kimberly Dahme]] on bass and vocals. The influx of new talent seemed to energize the band with ideas and inspiration. Dahme even contributed lead vocals to a country song she wrote entitled "With You". Although the CD didn't produce any hits, they still embarked on a highly successful tour in support of the album in 2003, and continued touring on into 2004.
In 2006, as Boston was in the midst of downtime, both Fran and Anthony Cosmo departed to form the band Cosmo. This move left Delp as the sole remaining lead vocalist in Boston. Tom Scholz later sued both Fran and Anthony for performing live billed as Boston [http://www.therockradio.com/2007/01/boston-leader-suing-former-bandmember.html]. Scholz informed the Cosmos that they will not be returning to the Boston lineup in the future as he wanted the band to be a 5 piece outfit, and the lawsuit was later settled out of court.
Another significant piece of news for Boston was that Scholz and original guitarist Barry Goudreau overcame their previous differences and rekindled their friendship. While it is not immediately known if Goudreau will contribute to the upcoming Boston album, there has been speculation that a reunion is inevitable. This is due to Goudreau having a robust connection with Delp over the last 30 years in Boston, Orion the Hunter, the Barry Goudreau solo project, RTZ, and the Delp-Goudreau sessions, Goudreau's reported desire to work with Scholz and Delp on a "classic" Boston project, and the promoting industries desire to package and promote reunited bands such as was the case in 2007 with [[The Police]] and [[Van Halen]]. However, Goudreau has said that as of 2006 he has not been invited to rejoin or participate with the band.
In 2006, Epic records attempted to remaster the first two Boston albums, however this was done without any input from Scholz who is notoriously protective of his work. Scholz was astounded that the quality of the remastering was so poor and personally took over the reins of the project in order to ensure that the final product was of the highest quality. [[June 13]], [[2006]] saw the official release of the remastered works and they were both well received by critics and fans alike.
===Death of Brad Delp===
Longtime lead singer Brad Delp passed away on March 9th, 2007 at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire, in the southern part of that state. [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/10/brad_delp_55_lead_singer_for_bestselling_70s_band_boston/] Police responded to a call for help and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwin called the death "untimely" and that no foul play was indicated. Delp apparently was alone at the time of his death, according to the police report. According to a New Hampshire TV website, Delp was preparing for a summer tour and marriage[http://www.wmur.com/news/11215812/detail.html].
A few hours after Delp passed away, Boston's official web site [http://bandboston.com/] was taken down and replaced with a simple sentence in white text, centered on a black background: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll." Outside of the brief sentence on the band's web site, there has not been an official press release yet from the band.
Prior to Delp's death, it was widely known that there was a new Boston album in the works, although no release date had been given by the band. Scholz in particular sounded enthusiastic about the new project commenting, "some of it sounds more like old Boston, some sounds more like later albums, all of it has me excited. [http://boston.org/officialreissueletter.html] There were also rumors of a spring or summer tour in 2007, and the band confirmed that it was in the planning stages [http://www.bandboston.com/flash17.html][http://www.therockradio.com/2007/01/tom-scholz-and-brad-delp-of-boston-are.html].
Due to Delp's recent death, there has been no official information on the status of the band.
==Innovations and style==
Guitarist and primary song writer Tom Scholz is regarded as a musical genius by some. His blend of musical styles, ranging from classical to 60's English pop has resulted in a unique sound, most consistently realized on the first two albums (Boston and Don't Look Back). This sound is characterized by multiple lead and blended [[harmony|harmonies]] guitar work, often alternating between and then mixing electric and acoustic guitars). Scholz and [[Brian May]] are well regarded for the development of complex, multi-tracked guitar harmonies. Another contributing factor is the use of handmade high tech equipment, such as the [[Rockman (music)|Rockman]], used by artists such as [[Journey (band)|Journey]] guitarist [[Neal Schon]], the band [[ZZ Top]] and [[Ted Nugent]]. [[Def Leppard]]'s album 'Hysteria' was created using only Rockman technology. Scholz' production style combines deep, aggressive, comparatively short guitar [[riff|riffing]] and nearly ethereal, generally longer note vocal harmonies. A heavier, lower and darker overall approach came in the next two albums (Third Stage and Walk On). The original track Higher Power on the Greatest Hits album exhibits a near Germanic, almost Techno influence with its sequencer-sounding keyboards, a sound most fully realized on Corporate America's title track.
The late singer Brad Delp, who was strongly influenced by the [[Beatles]], is also credited for helping to create Boston's sound with his signature vocal sound, one that associates him with Boston as closely as Steve Perry is with Journey, Dennis DeYoung with Styx, and Peter Cetera with Chicago-all fellow classic rock bands.
Boston's albums are played on heavy rotation on [[Classic Rock]] stations, with an emphasis on the earlier works.
==Live performances==
While concerts performed in the 1970s were widely disparaged as not being able to faithfully reproduce the band's blended guitar and vocal harmonies from their recordings, Boston did develop a startling ability to match their studio quality during live play in the mid 2000s. This is partly due to Tom Scholz, a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of sound, designing his own sound equipment. Another factor is the inclusion of Boston's formerly alternating lead singers, Delp and Cosmo, who are sonically similar. What is heard on the album is nearly identical to a live concert, with an expanded cast playing meticulously arranged parts.
The stage debut for Kimberley Dahme and Anthony Cosmo was in front of 70,000 people at the [[Fiesta Bowl]] in 2002 when the group played the [[The Star-Spangled Banner|National Anthem]].
The band also performed at the Red, White, & Blue Award ceremony for [[Doug Flutie]] on [[November 13]], [[2006]]. Doug Flutie joined the band for an encore to play drums on the song "Smokin'."
==Band members==
:''Main article: [[List of musicians in the band Boston]]''
===Current members===
*[[Tom Scholz]]: Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, Organ (1975-present)
*[[Gary Pihl]]: Guitar (1986-present)
*[[Kimberley Dahme]]: Bass, Guitar, Harmony & Backing Vocals (2002-present)
*[[Jeff Neal]]: Drums - (2002-present)
===Past members===
*[[Brad Delp]] (d. March 9, 2007) - Lead & Harmony Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1975-1991, 1994-2007)
*[[Jim Masdea]] - Drums (1975, 1984-1987)
*[[Barry Goudreau]] - Guitar (1975-1980)
*[[David Currier]] - Drums (1975)
*[[Sib Hashian]] - Drums (1975-1982)
*Fran Sheehan - Bass (1975-1980)
*David Sikes - Bass (1987-1997)
*Doug Huffman - Drums (1987-1994)
*Curly Smith - Drums (1994-1997)
*Fran Cosmo - Vocals, Guitar (1990-2006)
*Anthony Cosmo - Vocals, Guitar (1997-2006)
*Tom Hambridge - Drums (2002)
*Tom Moonan - Drums (2002)
*Anthony Citrinite - Drums (2001)
==Discography==
:''For a complete list of Boston albums and singles, see [[Boston discography]].''
==See also==
*[[Best selling music artists]]
*[[List of bands named after places]]
==References==
<references/>
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.bandbostonamyfisher.com/ Amy Fisher] The Official BostonAmy Site]Fisher Website
* [http://www.chuckthewriter.com/boston.html Boston: Heaven is a Reel to Reel Tape], originally published in [[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]] magazine, written by columnist Chuck Miller
*[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/boston/biography Boston] at Rollingstone
*[http://www.myspace.com/officialboston Boston Myspace Page]
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[[Category:People from Nassau County, New York|Fisher, Amy]]
[[ja:エイミー・フィッシャー]]
[[de:Boston (Band)]]
[[fr:Boston (groupe)]]
[[it:Boston (gruppo musicale)]]
[[he:בוסטון (להקה)]]
[[lt:Boston]]
[[nl:Boston (band)]]
[[ja:ボストン (バンド)]]
[[no:Boston (band)]]
[[pt:Boston (banda)]]
[[sv:Boston (musikgrupp)]]
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