“Men at Work” band member Greg Ham found dead
April 23rd, 2012 by faye
Greg Ham, songwriter and saxophone player for the band “Men at Work,” has been reportedly found dead in his Melbourne, Australia home.
According to reports, police said that the death of Greg Ham did not appear to be suspicious, though the cause was not immediately known. A friend who found Ham’s body said he hadn’t been the same since 2010, when a court ruled that his signature flute riff from the song “Down Under” had been stolen from a classic campfire song.
“There are a number of unexplained aspects to [the death] which has caused our attendance here today, and we’re assisting the local detectives to determine what has occurred,” Detective Senior Sergeant Shane O’Connell told reporters of the death of Greg Ham.
“Men at Work” topped charts around the world in 1983 with the songs “Down Under” on which Greg Ham played the flute, and “Who Can it Be Now?” Ham also dabbled in the saxophone and keyboards and worked most recently as a guitar teacher. The band won a Grammy Award that year for Best New Artist.
“Men at Work” Frontman Colin Hay issued a statement expressing deep love for Greg Ham, whom he met in 1972 when they were high school seniors. Hay recalled decades of shared experiences with Ham — from appearing on “Saturday Night Live,” to flying through dust storms over the Grand Canyon, to getting lost in the rural Australian countryside.
“We played in a band and conquered the world together,” Hay said. “I love him very much. He’s a beautiful man. … He’s here forever.”