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On this day, April 27, 1947, Pete Ham of Badfinger was born.
Last edited Tue Apr 27, 2021, 08:05 AM - Edit history (3)
Mon Apr 27, 2020: On this day, April 27, 1947, Pete Ham of Badfinger was born.
Fri Apr 24, 2020: (28,097 posts): On this day, April 24, 1975, Pete Ham of Badfinger committed suicide.
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
Background information
Birth name: Peter William Ham
Born: 27 April 1947; Swansea, Wales
Died: 24 April 1975 (aged 27); Weybridge, Surrey, England
Website: http://www.badfingersite.com/badfinger-bios/pete-ham/
Peter William Ham (27 April 1947 – 24 April 1975) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as a lead vocalist of and composer for 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 covered by hundreds of artists. Ham was granted two Ivor Novello Awards related to the song in 1973.
Ham committed suicide in 1975 at the age of 27, when he became depressed while embroiled in band-related issues, such as label and management problems, as well as a lack of funds. The emotional scar his death left on Badfinger eventually led to the suicide of former bandmate Tom Evans in 1983.
{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}
Background information
Birth name: Peter William Ham
Born: 27 April 1947; Swansea, Wales
Died: 24 April 1975 (aged 27); Weybridge, Surrey, England
Website: http://www.badfingersite.com/badfinger-bios/pete-ham/
Peter William Ham (27 April 1947 – 24 April 1975) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as a lead vocalist of and composer for 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 covered by hundreds of artists. Ham was granted two Ivor Novello Awards related to the song in 1973.
Ham committed suicide in 1975 at the age of 27, when he became depressed while embroiled in band-related issues, such as label and management problems, as well as a lack of funds. The emotional scar his death left on Badfinger eventually led to the suicide of former bandmate Tom Evans in 1983.
{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 of mine 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
This is just so sad.
More Badfinger links:
WUPE-FM, North Adams, Massachusetts, Fri Apr 24, 2020: Sadly, 45 Years Ago Today, We Lost Badfinger's Pete Ham
SADLY, 45 YEARS AGO TODAY, WE LOST BADFINGER’S PETE HAM
ERIC GREENE Updated: April 24, 2020
On April 24, 1975, main composer and co-lead singer of Badfinger, Pete Ham, hanged himself in his London garage. Ham had suffered through numerous financial(both personal and professional) troubles for the past couple of years. Plus, Ham had been showing more and more signs of increased mental illness. Ham was only 27.
Over the course of their all-too-brief history, Badfinger always served as the model for the adage, "One step forward, two steps back". For every success they achieved or hit single they seemed to come up with effortlessly, they had some misfortune or crisis that set them back. Time and time again.
With the exception of "Come and Get It" (which was written by somebody named Paul McCartney), Pete was the songwriter for all of Badfinger's hit songs: "Day After Day"; "Without You" (a minor hit for Badfinger, but a huge #1 hit for Harry Nilsson in 1973 and also a #1 hit for Mariah Carey in 1994), "Baby Blue", and my personal favorite from Badfinger, "No Matter What";
Sadly, Pete Ham could not cope with the pressures and traumas of his life and decided he had only one way out. Pete Way died just three days before his birthday and his daughter, Petera, was born just a month after his passing.
ERIC GREENE Updated: April 24, 2020
On April 24, 1975, main composer and co-lead singer of Badfinger, Pete Ham, hanged himself in his London garage. Ham had suffered through numerous financial(both personal and professional) troubles for the past couple of years. Plus, Ham had been showing more and more signs of increased mental illness. Ham was only 27.
Over the course of their all-too-brief history, Badfinger always served as the model for the adage, "One step forward, two steps back". For every success they achieved or hit single they seemed to come up with effortlessly, they had some misfortune or crisis that set them back. Time and time again.
With the exception of "Come and Get It" (which was written by somebody named Paul McCartney), Pete was the songwriter for all of Badfinger's hit songs: "Day After Day"; "Without You" (a minor hit for Badfinger, but a huge #1 hit for Harry Nilsson in 1973 and also a #1 hit for Mariah Carey in 1994), "Baby Blue", and my personal favorite from Badfinger, "No Matter What";
Sadly, Pete Ham could not cope with the pressures and traumas of his life and decided he had only one way out. Pete Way died just three days before his birthday and his daughter, Petera, was born just a month after his passing.
Wed Jun 5, 2019: He would have turned 72 today: Tom Evans, of Badfinger
Fri Mar 13, 2015: In memory of Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins, whose birthday it was yesterday