He also co-wrote the ballad "Without You", a worldwide number-one hit for Harry Nilsson that has become a standard covered by hundreds of artists.

[1] His older brother John was a jazz trumpeter, and encouraged young Ham to enter the Swansea music scene.

[2] The Iveys changed their name to Badfinger with the single release of "Come and Get It", a composition written by Paul McCartney that became a worldwide top-ten hit.

Ham had initially protested against using a non-original to promote the band, as he had gained confidence in the group's compositions, but he was quickly convinced of the springboard effect of having a likely hit single.

[2] Ham's greatest songwriting success came with his co-written composition with bandmate Tom Evans called "Without You" – a worldwide number-one when it was later covered by Harry Nilsson and released in 1971.

The song has since become a standard and has been covered by hundreds of singers, most notably Mariah Carey who made it a worldwide hit again in 1994.

With their current album suddenly withdrawn and their follow-up rejected, Badfinger spent the early months of 1975 trying to figure out how to proceed under the unclear legal situation.

[3] Panic set in, especially for Ham, who had recently bought a £30,000 house in Woking, Surrey,[4] and whose girlfriend was expecting a child.

Later that night, he met Tom Evans and they went to The White Hart Pub in Surrey together,[6][10] where Ham drank ten whiskies.

[6][12] His suicide note — addressed to his girlfriend, Anne Herriot; and her son, Blair — blamed Polley for much of his despair and inability to cope with his disappointments in life.

On 27 April 2013 (what would have been Ham's 66th birthday), an official blue plaque was unveiled by Swansea City Council to honour him in his hometown.

[23] The plaque was attached to the exterior of High Street Train Station because of its proximity to the adjacent Ivey Place where the band would meet to practice.

[22] This plaque, written in English with selected word(s) translated into Welsh reads: Pete Ham1947-1975 Of the Swansea band / O'r band o Abertawe The Iveys 1962-1969 with / gyda, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and / a David Jenkinand /a Badfinger 1969-1975with / gydaTom Evans 1967, Joey Molland (Liverpool / Lerpwl),Mike Gibbins (Swansea / Abertawe) and / aBob Jackson (Coventry)Dinas a Sir AbertaweThe Iveys BadfingerSolo Guest artist