Badfinger

Badfinger was a rock & roll band formed in Swansea, Wales in 1965. During the early 1970s the band was touted as the heir apparent to The Beatles but Badfinger's meteoric rise and tragic demise be

Badfinger was a rock & roll band formed in Swansea, Wales in 1965. During the early 1970s the band was touted as the heir apparent to The Beatles but Badfinger's meteoric rise and tragic demise became a cautionary tale for the rock music industry. The personal tragedies of two if its members aside, Badfinger earned a place as one of the most fondly remembered bands of the era.

The band originated with guitarist/keyboardist Pete Ham (1947-75) and a group called The Panthers. Members changed to resemble the first band line-up, with Ron Griffiths on bass guitar and David "Dai" Jenkins on guitar. The trio formed a band called the Iveys, named after a street in Swansea, Wales. By 1965, Mike Gibbins (1949-2005) had joined as the drummer, and the band began playing locally with such groups as the Spencer Davis Group, the Who, the Moody Blues and the Yardbirds. The following year, with Bill Collins as manager, Badfinger moved their base to London, performing both for David Garrick, a local singer, and as a solo act. In 1967, David "Dai" Jenkins left and was replaced by Tom Evans.