Badfinger drummer Michael Gibbins died yesterday (Oct. 4) in his sleep at his home in Florida at the age of 56.



Originally known as the Iveys, the group rose to fame in the late '60s as the first act signed to the Beatles' Apple label. It was the beneficiary of the Paul McCartney-penned "Come and Get It," which was a top-5 U.K. hit in 1969 and eventually reached No. 7 on the Billboard pop singles chart the following year.

Several members of the group had their hands in notable post-Beatles sessions, including John Lennon's "Imagine" and George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass," plus Harrison's 1972 "Concert for Bangladesh."



Despite critical acclaim and a handful of hit singles, Badfinger never achieved the massive success many had predicted. On April 23, 1975, frontman Pete Ham committed suicide; bassist Tom Evans and guitarist Joey Molland reactivated the group with a new lineup in 1978, but after years of infighting, Evans took his own life on Nov. 19, 1983.



A Molland/Gibbins version of Badfinger hit the road in 1986 and toured on and off for the next several years, before Gibbins opted to move from Detroit to Florida and concentrate on raising his family.



Mike Gibbins released his first solo album, "A Place in Time," in 1998 via the Forbidden label, which was followed in 2000 with "More Annoying Songs" on Exile Music.



Mike Gibbins' early history:

Mike Gibbins was born and raised in Swansea: A rough and tumble town on the South Wales coast in the UK. His circumstances were unusual from birth, being the only son with 6 sisters, Mike was immersed in the music tradition of Wales, where singing has always been a proud national pastime. Swansea was, and still is a raucous place. And even today wild horses still run free through the streets where Mike had to learn at an early age to fend for himself.



His first affray into percussion was as a drummer boy for the Sea Scouts/Cadet's, as he honored the Naval tradition of the family. As he became more skilled at his technique a 12 year old Mike followed the common route from tin pots to makeshift drums. His first real kit was brought for him by his father George at the age of 13. Now he was ready to start his first band.



"The Planets" played rock & roll instrumentals such as "Nutcracker" by "Bee Bumble and the Stingers". They played for free to small local crowds, in atmospheres that most 13 year old boys mothers would have nightmares about! During the smoky nights in these rough but colorful clubs, the diminutive drummer began to make a name for himself with his boyish good looks and cheeky Swansea charm.



This did not go unnoticed by local Jazz club columnist "Schmoo" who turned the Iveys on to Mike. At the time Mike was drumming for a popular local band called "The Misfits".



Rival band member Ron Ivey turned up at Mikes door in true rock star style: On the back of his dad's moped. Mike was slightly apprehensive about the look of this Ivey. He appeared more mod than rocker but Mike agreed to audition for the fledgling Iveys. Within one hour of the audition, Pete ("Piggy") and the rest of the boys offered Mike the gig. Mikes first reaction was "I don't know about these guys!", but the grungy little rocker saw something in the Ivey's and joined the band that would in time jet him around the world.



During the regular gigs in shady clubs such as "The Ritz" in Skewen, and "The Glen" in Llanelli, Mike realized he was earning much more than even the best paid apprentices and school leavers of his age, so he left school to concentrate on his beloved music.



Mike Gibbins recalls the gigs being filled with Notorious "Teddy Boys" all fighting amongst themselves, and worse still, being jealous of the attention the Ivey's were getting from their own girlfriends. This resulted in many scuffles and hurried exits.



One such trick was to open the back doors and reverse the van right up against the open doors providing a quick getaway from any trouble. But even the volatile crowds appreciated the immense youthful talent of the Iveys, resulting in them being firm favorites with the South Wales music scene...



Mike Gibbins passed away October 4th 2005. He will be terribly missed by all.