Pete Ham joined the 27 club on April 24, 1975. The cause of death is recorded as: Suicide by hanging
Pete Ham, born on April 27, 1947, in Swansea, Wales, was a renowned singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as the lead vocalist and primary composer for the iconic 1970s rock band Badfinger. Ham's career began in the early 1960s when he formed a local group called The Panthers in Swansea. After several name changes and line-up modifications, the band was relocated to London by their manager Bill Collins in 1966 and became known as The Iveys.
Under Collins' guidance, Ham became the predominant songwriter for the band, thanks to a Revox tape recorder that was made available to him. In 1968, The Iveys gained recognition after coming to the attention of Mal Evans, The Beatles' personal assistant, and were eventually signed to Apple Records with the approval of all four Beatles themselves. Their first release under this new label was "Come and Get It," a composition by Paul McCartney that became a worldwide top-ten hit, albeit with Ham initially protesting against using a non-original song to promote the band.
Ham's creative perseverance eventually paid off as his own compositions, such as "No Matter What" and "Day After Day," also achieved worldwide success as top-ten hits in late 1970 and early 1971. Ham's greatest songwriting triumph came with the co-written composition "Without You," which was a worldwide number-one hit when covered by Harry Nilsson and released in 1971. This song has since become a standard cover by hundreds of artists, earning Ham two Ivor Novello Awards for Song of the Year in 1973 and numerous Grammy nominations.
George Harrison recognized Ham's talents, using him for various album sessions, including on his All Things Must Pass album and for other Apple Records artist's recordings. This friendship culminated with Ham's acoustic guitar duet on "Here Comes the Sun" with Harrison at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. In 1972, Badfinger was picked up by Warner Bros. Records as Apple Records was crumbling and seemed poised for major recognition.
However, their success was short-lived as Warner Bros. Records sued their business manager, Stan Polley, after an advance vanished. With their current album suddenly withdrawn and their follow-up rejected, Badfinger spent the early months of 1975 trying to navigate the unclear legal situation. Ham, who had recently purchased a £30,000 house in Woking, Surrey, and was expecting a child with his girlfriend, became increasingly desperate as their March 1975 salary cheques did not clear and their April cheques never arrived. Despite attempts to continue without Polley's involvement by contacting booking agents and prospective managers throughout London, Badfinger was declined due to restrictive contracts and impending legal actions.
On April 24, 1975, Ham tragically took his own life at the age of 27, joining the infamous '27 Club' of musicians who died young. His untimely death marked a tragic end to a promising career that left an indelible mark on the music industry with hit songs like "No Matter What," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue," as well as his groundbreaking co-write, "Without You." Ham's legacy continues to inspire musicians and fans alike with his unforgettable contributions to rock music.