#pete ham

George Harrison and Pete Ham in the studio control room, September 1971; photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images.

“Pete just loved working with George. He felt he learned a lot from him. […] George Harrison told Pete he wanted to perform an acoustic duet of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ [at the Concert for Bangladesh]. […] ‘Pete was thrilled that someone he admired thought enough of him to do that stage spot at the Bangla Desh concert. It was really a buzz for him.” - Beverley (Pete’s widow), Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger

“We all came through so much in the Sixties and we all wanted so much to create something positive, something good. And it’s hard to… You know, when we come out into the Seventies, and we find it’s hard to go on. A lot of these people were only part-time hippies, or part-time lovers. They, you know, the badness of the world, or in them, caught up to them too soon. And you find that they turned round and all just started stabbing each other in the back. It’s like, we all need to support each other in many ways in order to exist. Like for example, just the other day I heard that [Pete Ham] from Badfinger — you know, Badfinger, who was on Apple Records, ‘Day After Day’ — the guy who wrote the big Harry Nilsson tune ‘Without You.’ He hanged himself. Okay, so, he’s hanged himself because he… can’t go on, you know… can’t go on.” - George Harrison, radio interview, August 1975

Q: “Who are the bands you’re most proud of from the Apple stable?”
George Harrison: “Anybody who had a hit, probably… like Badfinger was pretty good. It was a very sad story, though, because the guy, he ended up killing himself. Pete Ham, who was a lovely fellow, he was a good guitar player and a great singer. He wrote… the most famous tune I would imagine is ‘Without You,’ you know, the Harry Nilsson record.” - Undercover, 1996

“[George spoke of Pete] with fondness as a friend and with respect for his beautiful songs. I have had the pleasure of meeting Pete’s family and, although I did not know Pete himself, his lyrics and recordings embody a gentle spirit and tender heart.” - Olivia Harrison, BBC, 27 April 2013 (x)