Rock and Roll Suicide - An Exploration into Music and Mental Health

Pete Ham was born in Swansea, Wales and formed a local band in 1961 called The Panthers , which was later changed to The Iveys in 1965.   In 1966 the band relocated to London. Mal Evans, who was the personal assistant for the Beatles, became interested in The Iveys and decided to sign them as the first act to the Beatles ’ record label, Apple Records. The band decided to change their name to Badfinger after their single “Come and Get It” (which was composed by Paul McCartney) went on to become a Top Ten worldwide hit. Pete Ham joined George Harrison in playing an acoustic guitar duet, “Here Comes the Sun,” at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 in New York.   At this time Apple Records was known for being disorganized and poorly managed, which prompted band members to look for another label.   They unknowingly stepped into disaster by crossing paths with Stan Polley, a shady and corrupt NY businessman who was believed to be involved with organized crime.   Polley got them