Pete Ham: Biography

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• Paul McCartney
• Chris Bell
• George Harrison
• The Raspberries
• Dodgers
• Eric Carmen
• Big Star

• Mike Levy

• Badfinger
• The Iveys

• Badfinger
• The Iveys

• Mike Gibbins
• Joey Molland
• Tom Evans

Born:

Apr 27, 1947 in Swansea, Wales

Died:

Apr 23, 1975 in London, England

Genres:

Classical Music, Rock Music, Singer/Songwriter Rock Music

Decades Active:

1960's|1970's

Artistic Quality

Low

Cultural Impact

Low

Ratings Guide

Although every member of Badfinger composed material for the group, Pete Ham was probably the most important songwriter in the band. He wrote all of their hits, and also cowrote "Without You," which was covered by Nilsson for a number one single. He did not release any solo records during his lifetime, which ended with his suicide in 1975 (brought on by the band's horrific legal and financial problems). However, he merits an entry as a solo artist because of the posthumous 1997 compilation of Ham solo studio demos, 7 Park Avenue. Recorded on twotrack in the late '60s and early '70s and mostly unrecorded by Badfinger, they bear, as did much of Badfinger's material, a strong resemblance to the work of Paul McCartney in their ingenious melodicism. They do a good deal to flesh out appreciation of his talents, showing on the whole a more tender side than was usually expected from Badfinger. A second volume of homestudio demos was released in 1999 under the title Golders Green.

- Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide