Tragedy-hit group's drummer dies
Mike Gibbins, Welsh drummer with Badfinger, the first band signed by the Beatles' Apple Records, has died at 56.
Gibbins was a mainstay of the group formed in Swansea in the 1960s whose song Without You was a major hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey.
But Badfinger had a tragic history, and both main songwriters Pete Ham and Tom Evans hanged themselves amid turmoil in the group's finances.
Gibbins died in his sleep at his Florida home on Tuesday.
His official website says: "To all of Mike's fans, it is with deepest regret to inform all that he passed away 4 October, in his sleep by natural causes. He will be terribly missed by all."
Badfinger signed to Apple in 1969 and their first single, a Paul McCartney song, Come and Get It, reached the top five.
They retained close links with the Beatles, with George Harrison co-producing one of their albums, Straight Up, and guitarist Joey Molland and bassist Tom Evans playing on John Lennon's Imagine.
Nilsson's version of Without You, written by Evans and fellow guitarist Pete Ham, went to number one in 1972, as did Mariah Carey's in 1990.
But despite more of their own hits Badfinger's career went sour over finances. They signed to Warner Bros, but their third album for the label was never released and in 1975 their contract was ended.
In April 1975 Pete Ham hanged himself, aged 31. The band continued amid financial and legal problems, but seven years later Tom Evans also hanged himself.
Gibbins continued in the music industry, and played on such tracks as fellow Swansea artist Bonnie Tyler's 1976 hit It's a Heartache.
He lived in the United States for many years, but Dan Matovina, who wrote the biography Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger, said while Gibbins was happy-go-lucky, he also found it difficult to come to terms with the deaths.
"Badfinger was the highlight of his life, coming out of Wales, having success, touring America," Matovina told the BBC News website from California.
"But the tragedy of the loss of two of his bandmates to suicides weighed heavily on that.
"A lot of things happened that were difficult for him to deal with, the loss of Pete Ham especially, his close friend from Wales - I don't think he ever got over that."
Keith James, who edited the band fanzine Badfinger File, said Ringo Starr was an admirer of Gibbins, adding: "I think he was one of the great rock drummers."
But James said fans resented the emphasis on the band's troubled story, and preferred to concentrate on their outstanding music.
"Mike got nothing like the money he should have done, but he was quick to blame it on the band's naivety," said James.
"He said once, 'What the big print giveth, the small print taketh away'."
Matovina described Gibbins as self-deprecating and quick-witted, and a creative and talented multi-instrumentalist who was under-estimated.
"He was very nice, but he wasn't aggressive to push his own material."
The biographer said money was eventually released to band members and their families, but it took years of legal action.
Gibbins, whose former wife Gaynor still lives in Swansea, also leaves three sons.
His family received friends at a funeral home in Oviedo, Florida, on Friday, where a service of remembrance will be held on Saturday.
Matovina said a service would also be held in Wales, where Gibbins has a very close extended family.
Mike Gibbins dead at 56
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lukpac
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Mike Gibbins dead at 56
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
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lukpac
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- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
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I first heard it on our local classic rock station of all places.
It looks like Joey Molland is actually talking Mike up. I wonder what his thoughts would have been prior to his death.
Doomed by the tag 'the next Beatles'
Oct 8 2005
Catrin Pascoe, Western Mail
THE drummer in tragic Welsh rock band Badfinger never forgave singer Pete Ham for committing suicide when the band were enjoying fame in the 1970s, former band mates have revealed.
Swansea-born rock drummer Michael Gibbins died this week at his Florida home, aged 56.
An announcement on the Mike Gibbins website said he died in his sleep on Tuesday "of natural causes".
Story continues Continue story
The funeral was held yesterday and a memorial service was scheduled for today in Oviedo, Florida, where he had his home.
But after his death, former band mate Joey Molland has revealed Gibbins went to his grave still wishing Ham had "stuck it out" instead of killing himself in 1975.
Gibbins drummed with Badfinger, the Swansea band who were the first act signed to the Beatles' Apple label in the 1960s.
They had a monster hit with Paul McCartney's Come and Get It in 1970. But despite a handful of further hits, Badfinger never lived up to expectations and frontman Ham committed suicide on April 23, 1975.
Badfinger had arguably lost their most talented member, whose vocal style had so impressed Paul McCartney. It was a death that would haunt the group for the rest of their lives.
Molland had talked to Gibbins the day before his death and he seemed in good spirits.
The two had plans to meet up this month at a Los Angeles party celebrating the release of George Harrison's 1972 Concert for Bangladesh on CD and DVD.
Molland said, "Mike and I had a falling out some time ago, but we had been very much in touch with each other over the last five or six months, I'm happy to say.
"He was still angry that Peter had committed suicide rather than sticking it out."
The band had tried, on several occasions, to continue their careers without Ham - perhaps demonstrating Gibbins's frustration at having Badfinger's crack at fame cut short by Ham's suicide.
Bassist Tom Evans and guitarist Joey Molland formed a new Badfinger line-up in 1978 but, after years of infighting, Evans, too, committed suicide in 1983.
A Molland and Gibbins version of Badfinger then hit the road in 1986, and toured on and off for the next few years.
Molland says
, "Mike was a great friend to us all, a great rock drummer, father and husband. Courageous and honest in all things, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him."
Dan Matovina, who wrote the biography Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger, said while Gibbins was happy-go-lucky, he also found it difficult to come to terms with the deaths.
"Badfinger was the highlight of his life, coming out of Wales, having success, touring America.
"But the tragedy of the loss of two of his band mates to suicides weighed heavily on that.
"A lot of things happened that were difficult for him to deal with, the loss of Pete Ham especially, his close friend from Wales - I don't think he ever got over that."
Keith James, who edited the band fanzine Badfinger File, said, "He was one of the great rock drummers."
Brian Coffey from Swansea remembers the band's early days. A former youth club leader and geography teacher at the city's Olchfa Comprehensive School, he drove the band to practices and gigs during their formative time as youngsters in Town Hill.
Last night Mr Coffey, still living in Swansea, said, "I do sometimes wonder if I had not encouraged Peter so much to be in a band, would he still be with us?
"But you cannot think about these things too much," he added.
A Michael Gibbins Family Trust has been set up at Bank of America to raise funds to bring Gibbins' remains back home to Wales, as he wished.
It looks like Joey Molland is actually talking Mike up. I wonder what his thoughts would have been prior to his death.
Doomed by the tag 'the next Beatles'
Oct 8 2005
Catrin Pascoe, Western Mail
THE drummer in tragic Welsh rock band Badfinger never forgave singer Pete Ham for committing suicide when the band were enjoying fame in the 1970s, former band mates have revealed.
Swansea-born rock drummer Michael Gibbins died this week at his Florida home, aged 56.
An announcement on the Mike Gibbins website said he died in his sleep on Tuesday "of natural causes".
Story continues Continue story
The funeral was held yesterday and a memorial service was scheduled for today in Oviedo, Florida, where he had his home.
But after his death, former band mate Joey Molland has revealed Gibbins went to his grave still wishing Ham had "stuck it out" instead of killing himself in 1975.
Gibbins drummed with Badfinger, the Swansea band who were the first act signed to the Beatles' Apple label in the 1960s.
They had a monster hit with Paul McCartney's Come and Get It in 1970. But despite a handful of further hits, Badfinger never lived up to expectations and frontman Ham committed suicide on April 23, 1975.
Badfinger had arguably lost their most talented member, whose vocal style had so impressed Paul McCartney. It was a death that would haunt the group for the rest of their lives.
Molland had talked to Gibbins the day before his death and he seemed in good spirits.
The two had plans to meet up this month at a Los Angeles party celebrating the release of George Harrison's 1972 Concert for Bangladesh on CD and DVD.
Molland said, "Mike and I had a falling out some time ago, but we had been very much in touch with each other over the last five or six months, I'm happy to say.
"He was still angry that Peter had committed suicide rather than sticking it out."
The band had tried, on several occasions, to continue their careers without Ham - perhaps demonstrating Gibbins's frustration at having Badfinger's crack at fame cut short by Ham's suicide.
Bassist Tom Evans and guitarist Joey Molland formed a new Badfinger line-up in 1978 but, after years of infighting, Evans, too, committed suicide in 1983.
A Molland and Gibbins version of Badfinger then hit the road in 1986, and toured on and off for the next few years.
Molland says
, "Mike was a great friend to us all, a great rock drummer, father and husband. Courageous and honest in all things, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him."
Dan Matovina, who wrote the biography Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger, said while Gibbins was happy-go-lucky, he also found it difficult to come to terms with the deaths.
"Badfinger was the highlight of his life, coming out of Wales, having success, touring America.
"But the tragedy of the loss of two of his band mates to suicides weighed heavily on that.
"A lot of things happened that were difficult for him to deal with, the loss of Pete Ham especially, his close friend from Wales - I don't think he ever got over that."
Keith James, who edited the band fanzine Badfinger File, said, "He was one of the great rock drummers."
Brian Coffey from Swansea remembers the band's early days. A former youth club leader and geography teacher at the city's Olchfa Comprehensive School, he drove the band to practices and gigs during their formative time as youngsters in Town Hill.
Last night Mr Coffey, still living in Swansea, said, "I do sometimes wonder if I had not encouraged Peter so much to be in a band, would he still be with us?
"But you cannot think about these things too much," he added.
A Michael Gibbins Family Trust has been set up at Bank of America to raise funds to bring Gibbins' remains back home to Wales, as he wished.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD