Rick Davies, a founding member of the British rock group Supertramp, has died.
The 81-year-old, who had been battling multiple myeloma – a type of blood cancer – for the last decade, died on Saturday, a statement from the band said.
The band’s lead singer wrote many of their hits, including Breakfast In America and The Logical Song, alongside Roger Hodgson.
Supertramp’s Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson, Richard Palmer, Robert Millar and David Winthrop. Pic: PA
The band’s statement, posted with a photo of Davies walking his dog by the sea and soundtrack of Goodbye Stranger, paid tribute to both his musical legacy and his warm personality.
The statement 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 band’s sound. »
« Beyond the stage, Rick was known for his warmth, resilience, and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared over five decades, » the band said.
« 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 bear testament to the fact that great songs never die, they live on. »
Born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1944, Davies’s love of music began in his childhood, the group said, listening to Gene Krupa’s Drummin’ Man, which sparked a lifelong passion for jazz, blues and rock ‘n’ roll.
Davies and Hodgson formed the band that would become Supertramp in 1969.
(L-R) Rick Davies and John Helliwell in 2002. Pic Reuters
The line-up changed numerous times over the years, with the band best remembered for the period from 1973 to 1983, when Davies and Hodgson performed with Dougie Thomson on bass, Bob Siebenberg on drums and John Helliwell on saxophone.
Crime of the Century, their breakthrough album, came out in 1974, followed by their biggest hit in 1979 with Breakfast In America, and hit singles The Logical Song, Breakfast in America, Goodbye Stranger and Take the Long Way Home.
Amid creative disputes, Hodgson left the band to go solo in 1983. Davies eventually became the only constant member throughout its history.
While a reunion tour was announced in 2015, it was cancelled when Davies was diagnosed with cancer.
He settled a royalties lawsuit in 2023 after a long-running dispute with ex-bandmates. Just last month, a US appeals court ruled that Hodgson must share royalties for three of Supertramp’s songs with his ex-bandmates.
Davies leaves behind his wife Sue, who had managed the band since the mid-80s.
