By Rebekah Bretl, '13
Joey Molland, the last surviving member of the iconic rock band Badfinger, will perform an acoustic concert on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus.
Molland’s appearance has been made possible through SUNY Fredonia’s Music Business Department and its Student Record Label class. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature Molland and accompanist Paul Davie, who will perform songs from his upcoming CD, “Return to Memphis,” along with past Badfinger hits.
In addition, on Tuesday, Feb. 26, Molland will give a talk at 6:15 p.m. in G-24 McEwen Hall, during which he will discuss his career and, in particular, his harsh experiences with recording labels and the business side of the industry. This lecture is also free and open to the public.
To learn more, contact SUNY Fredonia Music Industry Professor Armand Petri, at Petri@fredonia.edu. To learn more about Molland and the band, visit www.badfingersite.com.
Badfinger, which recorded worldwide hits such as “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue” before dissolving in 1974, was discovered by The Beatles. They became the first band signed by Apple Records, the record label the Beatles started in 1969.
Badfinger’s connection to the Beatles was significant. Paul McCartney wrote and produced the band’s first hit single, “Come and Get It.” Molland and his fellow band mates — Pete Ham, Tommy Evens and Mike Gibbons — played at The Concert for Bangladesh with Bob Dylan and George Harrison, and made a guest appearance on John Lennon’s iconic album, “Imagine.”
Badfinger was touted by many as the next “Fab Four,” especially following the Beatles break up in 1970. However, poor management led the band to financial ruin, ultimately causing Ham to fall into a depression, which resulted in his suicide in 1975. In 1983, Evans would do the same. Gibbons continued a successful musical career, reuniting with Molland on several occasions, before passing away suddenly from a brain aneurysm in 2005.
Molland played guitar with numerous groups in his hometown of Liverpool, England, before joining Badfinger in 1969. Nearly five decades later, he is still carrying on the band’s legacy, touring under “Joey Molland’s Badfinger.” He has also released three solo albums, “After the Pearl,” “The Pilgrim” and “This Way Up.” He will be one of the headliners for International BeatleWeek 2013 in Liverpool in August.
