Greg Ham, of Men at Work, Dies at 58

By Stephen M. Silverman

UPDATED 04/19/2012 at 01:15 AM EDT • Originally published 04/19/2012 at 11:30 AM EDT

Greg Ham, who from 1979 to 1986 belonged to the Australian pop group Men at Work, was found dead at his Melbourne home Thursday, according to reports from Australia. He was 58.

"Police have established a crime scene, and the local crime investigation unit are attempting to determine cause of death," a spokeswoman for the police told the Herald-Sun after two friends found Ham's body when they went looking for him.

Det. Senior Sergeant Shane O'Connell said of the death, "There are a number of unexplained aspects to it which has caused our attendance here today, and we're assisting the local detectives to determine what has occurred." Reports say Ham was home alone.

Men at Work – for which Ham played sax, keyboard and flute – scored such hits as "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under." Last October, the group lost a protracted copyright suit that claimed their riff for "Down Under" came from a familiar local nursery rhyme, "Kookaburra."



After he left the band, Ham worked as a music teacher. It is reported that he is survived by two children.

Men At Work, in 1983, with singer Colin Hay (far left) Greg Ham (second from left)

Dave Hogan / Hulton Archive / Getty