They were the prototype power-pop quartet for the ‘70s. Doted on by Paul McCartney and George Harrison, they reached worldwide audiences with hits such as the McCartney-penned “Come and Get It” and originals “Without You” and “Baby Blue.”

But just two years after their 1971 release of the Todd Rundgren-produced Straight Up, Badfinger — guitarists Pete Ham and Joey Molland, bassist Tom Evans and drummer Mike Gibbins — had become the sorriest case in the business. Abandoned by their label and victimized by corrupt management, Badfinger entered 1975 on the verge of collapse. For Ham, whose “Day After Day” became the band's biggest hit, the fall from grace was too much to bear. After a final comeback attempt (Wish You Were Here) failed to turn the tide, the 27-year-old Welsh guitarist hung himself in his garage.

That should have been the end of a short, tragic chapter in rock history. But Badfinger stubbornly soldiered on, suffering even more abuses along the way and — incredibly — losing a second member to suicide (Evans, also by hanging, in 1983). To this day, Badfinger remains a compelling example as to why an artist should have a good music attorney … or steer clear of the biz altogether.

Yet even after years of bad vibes and luckless label affiliations, Badfinger's surviving members have not walked away from the music. Gibbins recently issued a new effort entitled More Annoying Songs (www.mikegibbins.com), while Molland's come out on his own self-made release called This Way Up (www.joeymolland.com). “I'm back to my old Les Paul plugged straight in and using the volume knob,” says Molland, his Liverpudlian accent still prominent even after living 15 years in the Minneapolis area. Despite the air of tragedy surrounding the band, Molland reminds us that not everything about Badfinger was quite so bad.

“We worked with George on All Things Must Pass, went to New York to do the Concert for Bangladesh — and of course we made some extraordinary music on our own,” reflects Molland. “It was an incredibly exciting experience that I'll never forget.”

We would love to hear your suggestions regarding artists and bands to profile in “Lost and Found.” So if you're wondering what happened to a favorite act from the past, drop us a line at onstageeditorial@primediabusiness.com.