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On this day, April 24, 1975, Pete Ham of Badfinger committed suicide.
Last edited Tue Mar 12, 2024, 08:05 AM - Edit history (5)
I posted this yesterday:
On this day, April 24, 1975, Pete Ham of Badfinger committed suicide.
As the second reply pointed out, I was a day early. This Day in Rock does that from time to time. I should have checked Wikipedia.
Today is the anniversary.
I really like Badfinger, so this hurts.
Edited to clean up the YouTube videos.
Fri Apr 27, 2018: Sad birthday remembrance, Pete Ham of Badfinger, born on this day in 1947.
Hat tip, http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/
1947, Born on this day, Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, Peter Ham who was a member of The Iveys and then Badfinger, who had the 1970 UK No.4 single 'Come And Get It'. He also co-wrote the ballad 'Without You', a worldwide No.1 hit for Harry Nilsson that has become a standard song covered by hundreds of artists. Ham was granted two Ivor Novello Awards related to the song in 1973. Ham committed suicide on 24th April 1975.
What a great group, and it came to such a sad end. This one hurts.
Pete Ham
Birth name: Peter William Ham
Born: 27 April 1947; Swansea, Wales
Died: 24 April 1975 (aged 27); Weybridge, Surrey, England
Peter William Ham (27 April 1947 – 24 April 1975) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the lead vocalist and composer of the 1970s rock band Badfinger, whose hit songs include "No Matter What", "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue". He also co-wrote the ballad "Without You", a worldwide Number One hit for Harry Nilsson that has become a standard song covered by hundreds of artists. Ham was granted two Ivor Novello Awards related to the song in 1973.
Ham committed suicide in 1975, when he became depressed while embroiled in band-related issues, such as label and manager problems, as well as a lack of funds.
{snip}
Death
Warner Bros. Records sued Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley, after an advance vanished, and after Polley disappeared, the band were left penniless. Believing his finances had been wiped out, Ham hanged himself in his garage three days before his 28th birthday. He left a note telling his pregnant wife and her son that he loved them. It read, "I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. PS Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me."
Legacy
Ham is often credited as being one of the earliest purveyors of the power pop genre. His most widespread effect in popular music is the ballad "Without You", written with Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans. Collections of Ham's home demo recordings have been posthumously released: 1997's 7 Park Avenue, 1999's Golders Green and 2013's The Keyhole Street Demos 1966–67.
On 27 April 2013 an official blue plaque was unveiled by the Swansea City Council to honour Pete Ham in his home town of Swansea. The public event was also attended by two former members of the original Badfinger band, The Iveys, Ron Griffiths and David Jenkins, plus former Badfinger member, Bob Jackson. The plaque, designed by Dan Matovina, honoured red Pete and all the Iveys and Badfinger members of Pete Ham's lifetime. A concert followed the unveiling of the plaque featuring former Badfinger members Bob Jackson and Al Wodtke.
{snip}
Birth name: Peter William Ham
Born: 27 April 1947; Swansea, Wales
Died: 24 April 1975 (aged 27); Weybridge, Surrey, England
Peter William Ham (27 April 1947 – 24 April 1975) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the lead vocalist and composer of the 1970s rock band Badfinger, whose hit songs include "No Matter What", "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue". He also co-wrote the ballad "Without You", a worldwide Number One hit for Harry Nilsson that has become a standard song covered by hundreds of artists. Ham was granted two Ivor Novello Awards related to the song in 1973.
Ham committed suicide in 1975, when he became depressed while embroiled in band-related issues, such as label and manager problems, as well as a lack of funds.
{snip}
Death
Warner Bros. Records sued Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley, after an advance vanished, and after Polley disappeared, the band were left penniless. Believing his finances had been wiped out, Ham hanged himself in his garage three days before his 28th birthday. He left a note telling his pregnant wife and her son that he loved them. It read, "I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. PS Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me."
Legacy
Ham is often credited as being one of the earliest purveyors of the power pop genre. His most widespread effect in popular music is the ballad "Without You", written with Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans. Collections of Ham's home demo recordings have been posthumously released: 1997's 7 Park Avenue, 1999's Golders Green and 2013's The Keyhole Street Demos 1966–67.
On 27 April 2013 an official blue plaque was unveiled by the Swansea City Council to honour Pete Ham in his home town of Swansea. The public event was also attended by two former members of the original Badfinger band, The Iveys, Ron Griffiths and David Jenkins, plus former Badfinger member, Bob Jackson. The plaque, designed by Dan Matovina, honoured red Pete and all the Iveys and Badfinger members of Pete Ham's lifetime. A concert followed the unveiling of the plaque featuring former Badfinger members Bob Jackson and Al Wodtke.
{snip}
There are so many Badfinger tunes that could be posted. Here's a favorite, from that other 1974 album, Wish You Were Here:
Badfinger Got To Get Out Of Here.m4v
6,411 views•Aug 18, 2010
David Cinabro
83 subscribers
Got To Get Out Of Here Joey Molland penned tune from Badfinger 1974 album Wish You Were Here
This song by Pete Ham opens that album:
Just a Chance
22,645 views•Dec 3, 2014
Badfinger - Topic
4.83K subscribers
Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner Records
Just a Chance · Badfinger
This was mentioned in the Wiki, so here this is:
Badfinger - Without You
28,712 views•Feb 27, 2014
Trebonis
13.5K subscribers
Without You" is a song written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of British rock group Badfinger, and first released on their 1970 album No Dice. The song has been recorded by over 180 artists, and versions released as singles by Harry Nilsson (1971) and Mariah Carey (1994) became international best-sellers. Paul McCartney once described the ballad as "...the killer song of all time."
{snip}
I love Baby Blue, so I'll post that too:
Badfinger - Baby Blue (Kenny Rogers Show 1972)
1,559,884 views•Jan 20, 2008
Ron MacInnis
1.86K subscribers
This Bands Original Name was The Iveys.Released On the Beatles Apple Label.
One more live performance. The drummer is Mike Gibbins, seen here at the age of 22. He died of a brain aneurysm. Tom Evans is playing bass. Only Joey Molland survives.
Badfinger - Day After Day
1,670,622 views • Mar 29, 2014
Louis De Nennie
39.9K subscribers
Golden Oldies van 192TV
1,670,622 views • Mar 29, 2014
Louis De Nennie
39.9K subscribers
Golden Oldies van 192TV
Official Site of Pete Ham
This is just so sad.
More Badfinger links:
Wed Jun 5, 2019: He would have turned 72 today: Tom Evans, of Badfinger
Fri Apr 27, 2018: Sad birthday remembrance, Pete Ham of Badfinger, born on this day in 1947.
Fri Mar 13, 2015: In memory of Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins, whose birthday it was yesterday
