For more than four decades, the identity of the singer who nearly replaced Brad Delp in Boston has remained a footnote whispered among diehard fans. Now, that story is finally out in the open. Mark Dixon, a Niagara Falls–based musician, was quietly hired by Boston mastermind Tom Scholz in 1981 as an insurance policy during a period of uncertainty for the band’s iconic frontman.
At the time, Boston was struggling to move forward with the long-delayed follow-up to 1978’s Don’t Look Back. Unsure whether Delp would fully commit, Scholz took a cautious—and secretive—step. In the December 11, 1980 issue of Rolling Stone, he placed an anonymous ad seeking singers capable of matching the demanding high-range vocals associated with “Chicago, Foreigner, Bad Company and, of course, Boston.” The job paid $50,000 for a year’s work.
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