Joey Molland: The Last Surviving Member of Badfinger's Classic Line-up

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born in Liverpool, Joey Molland became a central figure in the rock scene of the 1970s. As the final surviving member of Badfinger's iconic line-up, his career spanned five decades, bridging the gap between legendary collaborations with Beatles members and his own enduring solo work and touring legacy.

Born in Edge Hill, Liverpool, on 21 June 1947, Joseph Charles Molland II began his professional recording career in 1967 with the group Gary Walker & The Rain. Following the band's dissolution in early 1969, Molland joined Badfinger, the group with which he would achieve his greatest success. During his tenure with Apple Records, Molland contributed to significant projects, including guest appearances on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangladesh, as well as John Lennon's 1971 album, Imagine.

Molland's time with Badfinger was marked by both creative output and internal turbulence. He left the band in late 1974 due to management disagreements, shortly before the suicide of bandmate Pete Ham in April 1975. He later formed the group Natural Gas with Jerry Shirley, which toured with Peter Frampton in 1977. Despite subsequent attempts to revive the Badfinger name with Tom Evans—resulting in the albums Airwaves in 1979 and Say No More in 1981—the partnership eventually dissolved, leading to a period where both men performed in rival touring versions of the band until Evans's death in November 1983.

Throughout his later years, Molland maintained a steady solo career, releasing albums such as After The Pearl in 1983, The Pilgrim in 1992, and Return To Memphis in 2013. His final studio album, Be True To Yourself, was released in July 2021. Following the death of Mike Gibbins in 2005, Molland remained the last living member of the classic Badfinger line-up. He passed away on 1 March 2025, at the age of 77, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, due to complications from diabetes.

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