Derek Gray was a tall man who loved 1980s heavy metal and was expecting a child with his fianceé, Barbara McGill.

He was a staple at hard rock concerts, said his friend Scott Dunbar, who accompanied the 22-year-old to the Great White show at The Station.

"Derek (would be) at the front row, singing every word to every song," Dunbar recalled. "Bands at the shows would be passing down the mike, so we could sing along."

Gray's father, Albert, said his son played the guitar, wrote his own music, and wanted to start a band.

"He was a 22-year-old boy who didn't smoke, didn't swear, didn't do drugs," Albert Gray said. "His passion in life was music."

Gray lived in Burlington, Mass., and worked at Lowe's in Woburn, Mass.