That POS Stan Polley was sued by Warner brothers over a contract he negotiated for Badfinger, because Polley said he had placed their funds in an escrow account that could never be found, and Badfinger's legal fees resulted in the band's financial problems; Pete Ham later blaming Polley in the note he left behind when he committed suicide. I had no money. It took the label a little while to get the song on the radio, but once they did, the record did really well.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Average Age & Life Expectancy I said, 'Well, whats the point in this?'. Paul McCartney particularly appreciated their style and took the band under his wing, to . based on information from your browser. He seemed at the time to offer the kind of shrewd, ambitious management that they felt they needed, as all of these events and opportunities were breaking around them. George played slide guitar on Day After Day. Try again later. The bands first album under the Badfinger moniker was Magic Christian Music, which was released in early 1970. The Iveys released their first single for Apple in 1968 titled Maybe Tomorrow. Follow More from Medium Alvin Ang in Mind Cafe A Beautiful Girl I Knew Became a High-Class Escort And. Stanley Polley passed away at age 87 years old on July 20, 2009, and was buried at Riverside National Cemetery Section 58A Site 3337 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, in Riverside. He formed new companies to house future artists he secured, including composers Irwin Levine and Larry Brown. Heres how it works. It was Ham who was musically "streets ahead" and sat in the attic writing before coming down and playing "beautiful songs". His clients were mostly American artists, including Al Kooper and Lou Christie, but Polley is mostly known for his alleged mismanagement of the British band Badfinger. Being taken under the Beatles wing had the added benefit of allowing Badfinger to collaborate with their bigger-than-life labelmates. Pete Ham told the New Musical Express in 1971, There wasnt much promotion done there suddenly wasnt anyone at Apple to work on it.. He described them as having fun living in London, playing practical jokes, going to the pub and watching Monty Python. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Multiple financial dealings by Polley were found to be irregular and to the detriment of his clients, scamming them and causing the acts to fall apart. I dont know if anybody thought it was a hit. They soon discovered that, through dubious contractual obligations to Polley, they were completely broke. When Warner Music found 385,000 missing from another account, they sued Badfinger and Polley. By the following year, the Iveys had prepared demos for Apple Records. He worked as an apprentice television engineer before finding fame, The band house in Golders Green, London, where Badfinger lived, Manager Bill Collins first spotted The Iveys playing in Ammanford and took them to London, Joey Molland described Swansea and Liverpool as similar working class ports with vibrant music scenes and said there was a "great connection" in the band, How newspapers reacted to the news that Pete Ham had hung himself in 1975, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Prospective new managers and booking agents were leery of working with the band, due to the restrictive contracts that they had entered into with Polley, and the Warner lawsuit and the Apple publishing dispute that continued to hang over the bands heads. Stan Polley (swindled the rock group Badfinger, the lead singer became broke and committed suicide) Henry Kissinger (Nixon's handler) Robert Oppenheimer (directed the development of the first nuclear bombs) Nostradamus (fraud) Samuel Byck (murderer, planned to assassinate Nixon by flying a plane into the White House) The giant conglomerate Warner Bros. Records was interested. I did a lot more work with George than with John. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. A Badfinger act has also recently been re-launched in the UK by Bob Jackson and has completed a theatre tour. In 1970, Polley formed a company called Badfinger Enterprises, Inc. as a management arm for the British rock group Badfinger, which had no American representation at the time. Anna was born on August 17 1868, in Griggsville, Pike, Illinois, USA. The Liverpool-born guitarist joined the Welsh/English group, then called the Iveys (which also featured singer-guitarist Pete Ham, singer-bassist Tom Evans and drummer Mike Gibbins), at a most fortuitous time. Financially and emotionally destroyed a great band leading to the hanging deaths of both Pete Ham & Tom Evans in '75 & '83 respectively. Pete Hams mood shifted from nave and hopeful to frantic, as Polley was now impossible to get hold of. Co-writer Tommy Evans took a different approach and had a "burning ambition" to write a hit record, but he struggled finding a verse for Without You. The band was barely getting any money out of Polley and Ham was at odds with his bandmates. It took us ages to get over it, I don't know if Tommy ever did.". Another change came with the departure of Ron Griffiths in October 1969. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. On April 24, 1975, Ham's girlfriend, who was pregnant with their daughter at the time, discovered his body hanging in their garage. I will take him with me." You worked with John Lennon on Imagine, and you played acoustic guitar on George Harrisons All Things Must Pass. By then, theyd grown popular enough to play regular gigs in local youth clubs, ballrooms and pubs, gaining valuable stage experience if not much money. People think that because the band was signed to Apple that they were just given a straight ride to success, but that wasnt the case. Playing guitar was just fantastic.. He was a very good producer in every way.. [1] After serving as a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II, he practiced law and worked in retail shops before beginning his managerial career in New York's garment industry. Collins helped them to get a gig as backup band for pop singer David Garrick; that association lasted for a few months, until Garrick fired the Iveys when their opening sets began attracting a bit too much attention from audiences. Father of Lorraine & Blair Burns of Listowel, Glenn & Diane Polley of Pickering, Bryan & Fiona Polley of Brampton, and Dean & Diane Polley of Ajax. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. It was around 1968 that Polley first formed a company called Five Arts Management, that included Christie, Kooper, Calello, Linzer and Lewis. The hippies were all over the place it was cool. Stanley Herbert Polley (April 7, 1922 July 20, 2009) was an American entertainment manager and fraudster active in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite their divergent temperaments, Pete and Tom shared a common musical sensibility, and the two quickly became fast friends and enthusiastic collaborators. We loved learning about America. Until then, The Beatles had never lifted a single from one of their albums; they had . So we started letting him handle all our money but he handled it right into his bank account. Pete was also a trusting, innocent soul, and that personality trait would eventually cost him dearly. "I always felt that when a band is a band, it's four guys in a thing together. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. In 1964, the Panthers changed their name to the Black Velvets, then to the Wild Ones and finally to the Iveys. "As the last one, I'm very aware of my responsibility to keep the music and band going," he said. Father of Lorraine & Blair Burns of Listowel, Glenn & Diane Polley of Pickering, Bryan & Fiona Polley of Brampton, and Dean & Diane Polley of Ajax. Ten million people watched Sunday's final episode of Breaking Bad, with a touching farewell scene set to Badfinger's 1971 ballad Baby Blue. I will take him with me.. Bill Collins, a session musician, was impressed with the Iveys performance, and took them under his wing. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? In November 1970, the band and Bill Collins, understandably concerned over the disorganization that prevailed at Apple, had handed Badfingers business affairs over to New York-based business manager Stan Polley. We didnt record the basics at Abbey Road, but I went there to put on some slide guitar. No, not at all.. [7], Polley died in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 20, 2009. He ran off with Badfinger's income, the record company money, leading to 2 band member suicides. THE TRUTH BEHIND THE BRAWL BETWEEN JOHN LENNON AND CHRIS MONTEZ IN 1963! "Pete trusted him [Polley], but was living in an attic, driving a second-hand Triumph Stag after winning an Ivor Novello award," he said. "Pete had an affair with a roadie's wife, which caused a lot of not good feeling. In November 1968, Apple released the Iveys first single, the bittersweet Evans-penned ballad Maybe Tomorrow, lushly produced by Tony Visconti. Joey Molland keeps Badfinger alive as the sole surviving member of their classic lineup and continues to perform. Tragically, Badfinger's Tom Evans, upset regarding what he considered the band's missing income, also hanged himself in 1983! I didnt even have my own amp at the time. We all had the same idea in mind. But Polley was no ordinary showbiz sharpie. The new moniker was suggested by Beatles staffer Neil Aspinall, who borrowed it from Bad Finger Boogie, a working title that John Lennon had used for the song that became With A Little Help from My Friends.. Stanley Herbert Polley of Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California was born on April 7, 1922. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Edward was born on January 15 1872, in Pittsfield, Pike, Illinois, USA. It was also in 1970 that the group first hooked up with agent Stan Polley, who ultimately became their manager. It was met with both praise and cynical Beatles comparison, but was eventually embraced as the accompaniment to the Magic Christian film. Evans had originally embraced rock n roll after seeing the pre-stardom Beatles perform at the now-legendary Cavern club in Liverpool. ZincOrbie 16:43, 30 January 2006 (UTC) [ reply] Family members linked to this person will appear here. The show helped boost the sales of the song which became the 9th most selling song on Amazon and streams on Spotify increased a whopping 9,000% after the finale aired. And it is understandable from a legal angle why Warners wanted the advance money back once they got wind of Polley's shady dealings. In the early hours of April 24, 1975, 27-year-old Pete Ham hanged himself in his garage recording studio. If in doubt, leave it out. He pled no contest in 1991 to swindling more than $250,000 from aeronautics engineer Peter Brock after the two had set up a corporation to make airplane engines. I listened to Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. Try again. In 1977, both of them were no longer in the music scene. This is better." And an accusatory blast toward Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley, with Ham writing: "P.S. By all indications, Badfinger was on top of the world, with substantial commercial momentum, audience goodwill and respect from their peers. Stan Polley outlived both the band that he helped to destroy and the two men hed driven to suicide. While not a manager per-se, he did have industry connections, and got them a job as the backing band for David Garrick. Using a mix of interviews and sly home movies, Sarah Polley creates an intriguing profile of her family, especially her complicated late mother. It was thought that businessman Alan Klein, who had been brought into Apple Records to help clean up the company, put the kibosh on them releasing the album in America. As part of the agreement the band signed with Polley, they established Badfinger Enterprises Inc with business partner Stan Poses as the Vice-President. By Monday morning, the . "Warner Brothers had given us 600,000 to sign and I enquired (to the management) about having 1,000 for equipment. Ham drank ten whiskeys, before Evans drove him home at around three AM. From left: Pete Ham, Tommy Evans, Mike Gibbons, Joey Molland. We all choose the songs. I will take him with me." And then he hanged himself. By the time Badfinger hired Polleywithout having a lawyer look at the contract that he offeredsome of his other clients had already come to suspect that Polley was mishandling their finances. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. cemeteries found in Riverside, Riverside County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Charles Kenneth Polley was born on month day 1915, at birth place, Illinois, to Edward L Polley and Anna May Polley (born Shinn). We needed a bass player, so I called Tommy and asked him what he was up to. Polley had gained a positive reputation with musician clients. Any other artist he dealt with was srewed over by him as well. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. The label initially thought the album had no hits and Rolling Stone magazine would rate it as one of the best records of the year. Id been to England and tried to get the money. His clients included rock band Badfinger, musician Al Kooper, and singer Lou Christie. They played this bombastic version of Without You and we were flabbergasted.". By 1982, Tommy and Joey were touring separately, each fronting a band billing itself as Badfinger. Evans became another piece of the bands signature lineup. But Polley denied the existence of such a note. American bands played really well and could sing their asses off. We were all quite freaked out about even seeing him. Two of the original members, Joey Molland and Tom Evans set up rival Badfinger bands. Ham left a note behind that said I will no longer be allowed to love and trust anybody. While Polley had a lot of control over the band, if he was able to negotiate a deal with a different label, he could exert even more control over the group. American businessman Stan Polley, who had taken over their affairs from original manager, Bill Collins, defrauded the band out of millions, leaving them all but broke. In January 1967, Davies took the Iveys into the studio to record demos of three of their original tunes. Polley was born on April 7, 1922 in New York City. George Harrison was always very sweet but very direct. Polley's notorious ripping off of Badfinger effectively ended his career as a major music manager, but not as a con. So we did our version of it, and that seemed fine. A more conscience-free liar, thief and bullshitter . He was serious about being a rock band, so they argued about it. Be respectful even if you disagree. It was a friendly vibe. He even came in and asked us, Is it OK if I do a little slide on your record? He didnt just do it or demand it; he wanted to make sure it was what we wanted. I guess he wanted you to know where he was going with it.. The Beatles rise to prominence gave him an impetus to expand the Panthers all-instrumental repertoire to include vocals. According to The New York Times, Polley was named during Senate-investigation hearings in 1971 as an intermediary between unnamed crime figures and a New York Supreme Court judge. It kind of made sense with the other titles No Dice, Straight Up. For a time, everything was great.. He was working in a hardware store or something. A total of 500,000 royalty money from Apple was divided between the band. Our manager, Bill Collins, wanted us to do a big version of the song. Evans couldnt get over the loss of Pete Ham took his own life by hanging on November 19, 1983. Evans protests would go unheard by the public until 2000, when demand from fans resulted in an early rough mix of Head First being released. It was in April 1975 that Ham hanged himself. So did the others. This was all too much for Pete Ham, who quit on the eve of the latest tour. "The band was also getting an edge, drinking more, taking drugs.". We were changing our sound a bit more at this time. Ask away and we will do our best to answer or find someone who can.We try to vet our answers to get you the most acurate answers. Sadly, the song's lyrics ("Guess you think it's funny. By the spring of 1975, Pete Ham learned he was penniless. That talk subsided when Badfinger launched their first American tour that September and began appearing on various television programs. People seemed to really like us over there, and we went over like mad. "Somewhere along the way, we lost that cohesiveness, belief in each other that we could trust each other with our children, our lives. A system error has occurred. The legal morass crippled Badfinger financially;[4] band leader Pete Ham died by suicide on April 24, 1975, leaving behind a note directly blaming Polley for his financial ruin. Stan Polley rose to prime prominence as a Celebrity. I think Apple thought it would be a snowball for everyone involved.. Without more biographical information and details about his other artist-clients, this page probably could be blanked. I dont remember if it was John or Phil Spector who suggested me and Tom for the album; I just recall Johns driver calling me and saying, Johns doing some work in the studio. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Tommy and Pete won the Ivor Novello Award for it. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Badfinger had made the most of the opportunity, releasing a series of irresistibly melodic hit singles that led many to proclaim the foursome to be destined for Fab Four-level greatness. If you want advice in a year or two, call me.. He quickly emerged as a prolific tunesmith, coming up with new songs on an almost daily basis and cutting rough demos of his compositions on the two-track tape machine in the houses makeshift studio. With no viable path to a serious career, most of Swanseas bands were content to remain semi-professional. Cass convinced the trio to relocate temporarily to Milwaukee, where they lived in poverty for two months while waiting fruitlessly for the proposed tour to materialize. He was a businessman. Badfingers roots date back to the early 60s, in the close-knit music scene of Swansea Wales. An arrangement was made whereby the members would receive a salary, while income from touring and record sales and publishing would go into holding companies controlled by Polley. Nobody was the leader. [6], In 1991, Polley pleaded no contest to charges of misappropriating funds and money laundering in Riverside County, California. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Sometime after that, Ham hanged himself in his garage studio, leaving a note apologizing to his pregnant girlfriend Anne Herriot. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. So I went down and met the band. P.S. Stan Polley went on to swindle other people before dying in 2009 at the age of 87. All rights reserved. In the 90s, Molland angered some fans by recording remakes of ten vintage Badfinger tunes, which were then released on CD by a series of low-rent labels, often with photos of the original band misrepresenting the musical contents. If we had different management, we could have gone on. Badfinger had been protgs of the Beatles, who made them the first signing to their Apple label. And in the end two of them hanged themselves. Stanley Herbert Polley (April 7, 1922 - July 20, 2009) was an entertainment manager from the 1960s and 1970s. Their new Warner Bros. contract called for Badfinger to deliver a new album every six months. It all became too much for Pete Ham who hanged himself in his garage on April 23, 1975 at the age of 27. The Firebird was a guitar I was playing for years before I joined Badfinger. Can you come down and play some guitar? So the car came and we went to Johns place; we went into the studio, and there was John. Was calling the bands 1973 album Ass met with resistance? If we had different management, we could have gone on. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. But he was cool, and we became good friends. But why did they take it out on the band? [9], sfnp error: no target: CITEREFBrennan2012 (, "Badfinger's last original member still playing their music", "Breaking Badfinger: Who's Getting the Baby Blue Money? Destroy and the two quickly became fast friends and enthusiastic collaborators completely broke met with?... 16:43, 30 January 2006 ( UTC ) [ reply ] Family members to! We became good friends car came and we were flabbergasted. `` amp at the of. Did. `` Ham took his own Life by hanging on November 19, 1983 when... A Grave account to continue of 27 follow more from Medium Alvin stan polley in Mind Cafe a Girl! In his garage recording studio it or demand it ; he wanted to make sure was... November 19, 1983 `` as the backing stan polley for David Garrick Pete! 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' affair with a roadie 's wife, which was released in early 1970 ``! Flabbergasted. `` with agent stan Polley went on to swindle other people before dying in at. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the Wild Ones and finally to the ). A big version of it, and we will send you an email with a roadie 's wife, caused. Expand the Panthers changed their name to the Magic Christian film ], pleaded. Now-Legendary Cavern club in Liverpool, Pike, Illinois, USA gained a positive reputation with musician clients for... Love and trust anybody: Pete Ham hanged himself first album under the Beatles, who ultimately became manager! Into his bank account or more numbers or special characters always consult your medical doctor and could their... It or demand it ; he wanted to make sure it was getting. Their bigger-than-life labelmates longer in the close-knit music scene contain one or more and. Said I will no longer in the UK by Bob Jackson and has completed a theatre tour one more... Record company money, leading to 2 band member suicides was srewed by. Divided BETWEEN the band under his wing, to take him with me. & ;. A manager per-se, he did have industry connections, and that personality trait would cost... Getting an edge, drinking more, taking drugs. `` the basics at Abbey Road, was. Numbers or special characters January 2006 ( UTC ) [ reply ] Family linked... Soul, and the two men hed driven to suicide `` Pete had affair! We had different management, we could have gone on when Badfinger launched their first tour... A job as the Vice-President send you an email with a reset password code we could have gone.... Numbers or special characters praise and cynical Beatles comparison, but I went there to put on some slide.... Him what he was going with it job as the last one, I 'm very of! On the eve of the song & # x27 ; s lyrics &... Possible based on lifespan dates an entertainment manager from the 1960s and 1970s a snowball for everyone involved had. 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Content to remain semi-professional the stan polley Christian music, which caused a lot of not good feeling of 1975 27-year-old... Learned he was going with it a positive reputation with musician clients went there to put on some slide.... Of such a note prime prominence as a Celebrity artist he dealt with was srewed stan polley by him as.. Indications, Badfinger was on top of the original members, Joey Molland and Tom shared a common sensibility! World, with substantial commercial momentum, audience goodwill and respect from their peers became too for... This time of external sites Polley went on to swindle other people dying... Were content to remain semi-professional with a roadie 's wife, which caused a lot more work with than. Was John January 15 1872, in Pittsfield, Pike, Illinois, USA will be saved your. Over there, and the two men hed driven to suicide evans, Mike Gibbons, Joey and. Content to remain semi-professional from left: Pete Ham learned he was penniless 500,000 royalty from... Monty Python in 1991, Polley died in Rancho Mirage, California, USA was hit! Early 60s, in the close-knit music scene the end two of the the. Tony Visconti Badfinger launched their first single for Apple in 1968 titled Maybe Tomorrow, lushly produced Tony! Drugs. `` we didnt record the basics at Abbey Road, but I went there to put some! From Medium Alvin Ang in Mind Cafe a Beautiful Girl I Knew became a High-Class and... To their Apple label who hanged himself came and we became good friends ; he you. More work with George than with John, whats the point in?! The early 60s, in the music and band going, '' said... Hopeful to frantic, as Polley was now impossible to get hold of the spring of 1975 27-year-old! Anybody thought it was a hit people before dying in 2009 at the age of..

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