Rick Davies, the founder, singer, and keyboard player of the rock band Supertramp, has died at the age of 81. He passed away on Saturday, 10 years after being diagnosed with blood cancer.
Born in Swindon, England in 1944, Davies started out in small bands before placing an advert in Melody Maker magazine in 1969 to form a new group. With the help of a wealthy backer, he created Supertramp. The band became famous in the 1970s with albums like Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America, which sold over 30 million copies.
Davies co-wrote many of Supertramp’s biggest hits with Roger Hodgson, including Goodbye Stranger, Bloody Well Right, and The Logical Song. His warm vocals and unique Wurlitzer piano sound became central to the band’s style.
Supertramp’s success led them to worldwide fame, but relations between Davies and Hodgson eventually broke down, and Hodgson left the band in 1983. Davies kept the band going, touring and recording with other members until 2015, when a reunion tour was cancelled after his cancer diagnosis.
Away from the stage, he was known as a kind and resilient man, devoted to his wife Sue for more than 50 years. In later years, he enjoyed performing with a local group called Ricky and the Rockets.
Supertramp’s classic line-up also included bassist Dougie Thomson, saxophonist John Helliwell, and drummer Bob Siebenberg. The group faced legal disputes over royalties in recent years, which Davies settled in 2023.
In a tribute, the band said: “Rick’s music and legacy continue to inspire many. Great songs never die, they live on.”
-Peace News Desk