Pete Ham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Ham
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Ham in the early 1970s
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| Birth name | Peter William Ham |
| Born | 27 April 1947 Swansea, Wales |
| Died | 24 April 1975 (aged 27) Weybridge, Surrey, England |
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| Years active | 1961–1975 |
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Peter William Ham (born 27 April 1947 – died 24 April 1975) was a talented Welsh singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for being a lead singer and composer for the 1970s rock band Badfinger.
Some of Badfinger's popular songs include "No Matter What", "Day After Day", and "Baby Blue". Pete Ham also helped write the famous song "Without You". This song became a worldwide number-one hit for Harry Nilsson and has been sung by many other artists. Ham received two Ivor Novello Awards in 1973 for this song.
Early life
Pete Ham was born in Swansea, Wales. Around 1961, he started a local rock group called The Panthers. This group changed its name and members several times. By 1965, they became known as The Iveys.
In 1966, the band moved to London. They performed across the United Kingdom for three years. Pete Ham became the main songwriter for the band. He was encouraged by their manager, Bill Collins, who gave him a tape recorder.
In 1968, The Iveys caught the attention of Mal Evans, who was The Beatles' personal assistant. The band was later signed to The Beatles' own record label, Apple Records. All four Beatles were reportedly impressed by the band's songwriting skills.
Badfinger
The Iveys changed their name to Badfinger when they released the single "Come and Get It". This song was written by Paul McCartney and became a top-ten hit around the world. Pete Ham first didn't want to use a song not written by the band. But he soon realized it would help the band become famous.
His own hard work paid off. His song "No Matter What" became another top-ten hit worldwide in late 1970. He then had two more global hits with "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue".
Ham's biggest songwriting success was "Without You". He wrote it with his bandmate Tom Evans. This song became a number-one hit when Harry Nilsson covered it in 1971. Many singers have covered the song since then. In 1973, it won an Ivor Novello award for Song of the Year. It also received Grammy nominations.
George Harrison from The Beatles often asked Ham to play on his albums. This included the All Things Must Pass album. Ham also played on recordings for other Apple Records artists. Their friendship grew, and Ham played acoustic guitar with Harrison at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. This concert was also made into a film. In 1972, Badfinger signed with Warner Bros. Records. This happened as the Apple Records label was having problems. It seemed Badfinger was ready for even greater success.
Later life and challenges
Warner Bros. Records sued Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley. This happened after money that was given to the band disappeared. Their new album was suddenly pulled, and their next one was rejected. Badfinger spent early 1975 trying to understand their legal problems.
Their salary cheques for March 1975 did not clear, meaning they couldn't get their money. The April cheques never arrived. This caused a lot of worry, especially for Ham. He had recently bought a house, and his girlfriend was expecting a child.
The band tried to continue without their manager. They contacted other agents and managers in London. However, they were often turned down because of their contracts and legal issues. Ham tried many times to call Polley but could not reach him.
On the night of 23 April 1975, Ham received a phone call. He was told that all his money had disappeared. Later that night, he met Tom Evans. They went to a pub together. Evans drove him home early on 24 April 1975.
Pete Ham was under great stress during these months. He was cremated in Swansea, Wales. His ashes were spread in the memorial gardens. Ham's daughter, Petera, was born one month after his death. In May, Warner Bros ended its contract with Badfinger, and the band broke up. Around that time, Apple also removed all of Badfinger's albums from its list.
Legacy
Pete Ham is often seen as one of the first artists to create the power pop music style. His biggest impact in music was with the song "Without You". He wrote this song with his Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans.
After his death, collections of Ham's home demo recordings were released. These include 7 Park Avenue (1997), Golders Green (1999), and The Keyhole Street Demos 1966–67 (2013). In 2022, "Demos Variety Pack" was also released.
On 27 April 2013, a special blue plaque was put up in Swansea, his hometown. This was to honor Pete Ham. Two former members of The Iveys, Ron Griffiths and David Jenkins, attended the event. Former Badfinger member Bob Jackson was also there. The plaque honored Ham and all the members of The Iveys and Badfinger from his time. A concert followed the ceremony.
Discography
- 7 Park Avenue (1997)
- Golders Green (1999)
- The Keyhole Street Demos 1966–67 (2013)
Ham also appeared as a guest artist on:
- The Concert for Bangladesh (the concert, the album, and the film)
- All Things Must Pass by George Harrison (album)
- "It Don't Come Easy" by Ringo Starr (single)
- "Try Some, Buy Some" by George Harrison (single)
- Living in the Material World (uncredited) by George Harrison (album)
Charted singles
- "No Matter What" (Billboard charting number 8, by Badfinger)
- "Without You" (Billboard charting number 1 by Harry Nilsson, number 3 by Mariah Carey, number 28 by Clay Aiken).
- "Day After Day" (Billboard charting number 4, Cash Box charting number 1, both by Badfinger)
- "Baby Blue" (Billboard charting number 14 by Badfinger)
See also
In Spanish: Pete Ham para niños
