Following a 10-year battle with multiple myeloma, Supertramp singer and co-founder, Rick Davies, passed away on September 6 at the age of 81.
Following his death a statement on the band’s social media pages read:
“As co-writer, along with partner Roger Hodgson, he was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp’s most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark on rock music history.” “His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands’ sound (sic).” “After facing serious health challenges, which kept him unable to continue touring as Supertramp, he enjoyed performing with his hometown buds as Ricky and the Rockets. Rick’s music and legacy continue to inspire many and bears testament to the fact that great songs never die, they live on.”
After issuing an advertisement to find band mates, the British singer and keyboardist met Hodgson, with whom he shared songwriting and vocal duties.
After a brief stint under the original group moniker Daddy, the band became Supertramp in 1970. Although experiencing a 1974 breakthrough with their third album, Crime of the Century, the group didn’t hit it big until 1979, with their album Breakfast in America, that included hits ‘The Logical Song,’ ‘Goodbye Stranger,’ and the title track, all of which sold 30,000,000+ copies worldwide.
Following the release of their seventh album, …Famous Last Words…, Hodgson left the group in 1983 and Davies continued on with four more full lengths including the very last LP Slow Motion in 2002.
Though Supertramp announced a reunion tour in 2015, but it was cancelled when Davies was diagnosed with cancer, however he continued to perform under the name Ricky and the Rockets.
In recent years, Davies and Hodgson were involved in a legal dispute over Supertramp royalties with their bandmates Dougie Thomson, John Helliwell and Bob Siebenberg. This was still rumbling on as of last month.
Rick Davies is survived by his wife Sue, whom he married in 1977.
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Al Denté
Photo: Mr. Vanderbilt