04-03-2025
Badfinger guitar Joey Molland, the band's last living member, has died
Joey Molland, the last living member of Badfinger and longtime resident of Minnesota, died on March 1, the band announced on social media. Molland was 77.
Molland was part of the band's best-known lineup, which also featured guitarist Pete Ham, drummer Mike Gibbins, and bassist Tom Evans.
When Gibbins died from a brain aneurysm in 2005, Molland became the last living member of the group. Ham died by suicide in 1975 and Evans also died by suicide in 1983.
Molland continued to tour as Joey Molland's Badfinger for years afterward.
Late in 2024, Molland became ill. A GoFundMe campaign was established by his longitme girlfriend Mary Joyce to aid with his medical experiences. According to the campaign, Molland developed a bacterial infection due to his diabetes. It caused damage to several organs and led to pneumonia.
The campaign raised more than $30,000 to help with his recovery.
Molland joined the Welsh band as it transitioned from being called The Iveys to Badfinger, releasing a string of hits starting with their debut as Badfinger, Magic Christian Music, which included the Paul McCartney-penned "Come and Get It."
From there, the band hit the charts on their next three albums with songs like "No Matter What," "Day After Day," "Baby Blue," and "Apple of My Eye."
'There are times when it all feels like a dream,' Molland told Guitar World in 2020.
"Badfinger gave me the opportunity to do everything a musician could want. I got to make records. I heard my music on the radio, and I toured all over. I couldn't believe the luck we were having. For a time, everything was great."
Molland died accompanied by his girlfriend, Mary Joyce, his two sons, and other family members, per the band's announcement.
