Badfinger - tragedy

by **Chris Speers** » Sun Sep 22, 2002 8:54 am

Do you think that each of the Beatles feels responsible for the deaths of the two badfinger members who committed suicide. In a sense, many of the member of badfinger killed themselves over financial difficulties. Were the Apple folks responsible for exploiting these artists to a degree and not giving them a decent income? When Mariah Carey covered "Without you" written by the Badfinger fellows many years after their death, do you think it would have given them enough income to support their families.

I read that Pete Best got about 2 million in earnings for the anthology in royalties. While i don't doubt, he deserves it. I think it's a great story and i wonder why one of the Beatles didn't try to hook him up with cash much earlier.

I once read that their first manager Alan Williams (man who gave the Beatles away) who booked them to Hamburgh and gave them their first start - once told me at a Beatles' convention - he went to London in the early 70's with a tape of their performance in Hamburgh and George Harrison made him open up his hands and gave him some rubies of some sort and then just walked out. Williams said The Beatles never really hooked him up. I wonder if they should have -

by **Chris Speers** » Sun Sep 22, 2002 8:54 am

Do you think that each of the Beatles feels responsible for the deaths of the two badfinger members who committed suicide. In a sense, many of the member of badfinger killed themselves over financial difficulties. Were the Apple folks responsible for exploiting these artists to a degree and not giving them a decent income? When Mariah Carey covered "Without you" written by the Badfinger fellows many years after their death, do you think it would have given them enough income to support their families.

I read that Pete Best got about 2 million in earnings for the anthology in royalties. While i don't doubt, he deserves it. I think it's a great story and i wonder why one of the Beatles didn't try to hook him up with cash much earlier.

I once read that their first manager Alan Williams (man who gave the Beatles away) who booked them to Hamburgh and gave them their first start - once told me at a Beatles' convention - he went to London in the early 70's with a tape of their performance in Hamburgh and George Harrison made him open up his hands and gave him some rubies of some sort and then just walked out. Williams said The Beatles never really hooked him up. I wonder if they should have -

by **Ram1** » Sun Sep 22, 2002 10:27 am

Classic case of woulda, shoulda, coulda. As far as The Beatles feeling responsible for the deaths of Pete Ham and Tom Evans, they shouldn't. Not in the slightest. Just about anybody who commits suicide is gonna do it eventually anyway. If it's not over one thing, it will be over another.

As far as Pete Best, I agree that he deserves the royalties from Anthology. And I'm glad he got it. But I don't think The Beatles should have felt any obligation to "hook him up" earlier. The dude was kicked out of the band. He and Paul didn't even get along. While I think MAYBE out of good nature, they should have given him a little something, they certainly shouldn't have felt obligated to do so.