Supertramp singer and co-writer dies at 81

Supertramp founder Rick Davies, who wrote and sang among the rock band’s hits, has died on the age of 81.

The English vocalist and keyboardist died on Saturday, a decade after being recognized with a number of myeloma, a kind of blood most cancers, the band mentioned.

“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,” a press release mentioned. “His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands’ sound.”

Davies wrote songs together with 1974’s Bloody Well Right, their US chart breakthrough; and 1979’s Goodbye Stranger.

Born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1944, Davies began off in a sequence of bands together with one known as The Joint. They did not make it large however did appeal to the assist of Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesegaes, who supplied to again Davies if he began a brand new group.

So Davies put an advert for brand spanking new bandmates in Melody Maker journal in 1969, and Supertramp have been born, with funding from Miesegaes for his or her first few years.

Davies shared writing and vocals with Hodgson, and the band discovered chart success with their third album, Crime of the Century, in 1974.

They made it large within the USA 5 years later with the album Breakfast In America, which included hit singles The Logical Song and the title monitor, in addition to Goodbye Stranger.

The LP offered greater than 30 million copies worldwide and was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards in 1980, together with album of the yr.

Relations between the 2 frontmen soured, nevertheless, and Hodgson left the group in 1983.

Davies continued to document and tour with Supertramp. They introduced a reunion tour in 2015, but it surely was cancelled when Davies was recognized with most cancers.

“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 added of their assertion.

“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 proceed to encourage many and bears testomony to the truth that nice songs by no means die, they dwell on.”

Supertramp’s classic line-up also included bassist Dougie Thomson, saxophonist John Helliwell and drummer Bob Siebenberg.

In 1977, Davies and Hodgson agreed to reduce their 50% share of songwriting royalties in order to give the trio and the band’s manager a cut – a move Hodgson said was intended “to maintain the band functioning and completely satisfied”.

That arrangement lasted until 2018, and Thomson, Helliwell and Siebenberg sued Hodgson and Davies in 2021.

Davies settled out of court in 2023. Last month, a US appeals court ruled that Hodgson must share royalties with his ex-bandmates.

BBC News used AI to assist write the abstract on the prime of this text. It was edited by BBC journalists. Find out more.