Badfinger Guitarist Joey Rylland Passes Away at 77

Joey Silland Passes Away

Joey Silland, the guitarist renowned for his contributions to the Badfinger group, has passed away at the age of 77.

Details of His Passing

This news was confirmed on the official Facebook page of the group, stating that Joey died on Saturday (March 1) surrounded by his family. While the cause of death was not disclosed, he had been battling pneumonia in recent months.

“Thank you, Joehi … For the fact that they made the music of the group for so long and for the fact that they were for all of us,” the group expressed.

The Badfinger group was among the first artists signed by The Beatles to their Apple Records label, gaining fame for their distinctive guitar-driven Power Pop sound. Silland joined the group in 1970, shortly after the release of their second album, “Magic Christian Music.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnvh54Teae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33oAUVBRG-C

The first album featuring Silland with the group was “No Dice,” released in the 1970s, produced by The Beatles’ road manager, Mal Evans. This album included two of the group’s most iconic songs: “No Matter What” and “Without You,” the latter of which was famously covered by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey.

The lineup, including guitarist/singer Pia Ham, bassist Tom Evans, and drummer Mike Gibbins, remained intact until 1974, regularly producing music with the help of George Harrison. They achieved further success with hits like “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue,” the latter being featured in the final moments of the last episode of Breaking Bad.

Silland later took on the roles of songwriter and vocalist in the updated version of Badfinger in the late 70s and early 80s, eventually forming Badfinger Molland, which continued to perform until recent years.

Apart from his work with the group, Silland also played guitar on John Lennon’s classic track “Jealous Man” in 1971 and appeared on George Harrison’s 1970 album “All Things Must Pass.”

He was the last surviving member of Badfinger’s classic lineup, following the tragic suicides of Ham and Evans in 1975 and 1984 respectively, and the passing of Gibbins from a brain aneurysm in 2005.