Rick Davies, co-founder, singer and songwriter of British rock band Supertramp, died on September 6 at his home in East Hampton, New York, after a decade-long battle with multiple myeloma. He was 81. His passing was announced on the band’s official website.
“As co-writer, along with Roger Hodgson, he was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp’s most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark on rock music history,” read the tribute. “His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the band’s sound.”
Davies formed Supertramp in 1969 with Hodgson after placing a Melody Maker ad seeking collaborators. The two, Davies, a working-class pianist steeped in jazz and blues, and Hodgson, a classically trained tenor, created a songwriting partnership that fused grit with idealism.
Originally called Daddy, the group soon adopted its lasting name from The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
The band’s breakthrough came with ‘Crime of the Century’ (1974), which included Davies’ ‘Bloody Well Right’.
Five years later, ‘Breakfast in America’ propelled them to global superstardom, selling more than 18 million copies and producing enduring hits like Hodgson’s ‘The Logical Song’ and Davies’ ‘Goodbye Stranger’.
Davies’ earthy vocals and trademark Wurlitzer riffs contrasted with Hodgson’s falsetto, defining the group’s sound.
Supertramp went on to score with albums such as ‘Even in the Quietest Moments’ (1977), ‘Paris’ (1980) and ‘…Famous Last Words’ (1982), as well as singles including ‘Give a Little Bit’, ‘It’s Raining Again’ and ‘Cannonball’.
Their music remains a fixture of classic rock radio and has been featured in films and series from ‘Magnolia and I’, ‘Tonya’ to ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘The Morning Show’.
Born on July 22, 1944, in Swindon, England, Davies discovered jazz as a child and carried that influence throughout his career. When Hodgson left Supertramp in 1983, Davies kept the band touring and often sang both vocal parts live.
Health issues later forced him off the road, though he continued to perform casually with a local group, ‘Ricky and the Rockets’.
“Beyond the stage, Rick was known for his warmth, resilience and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared more than five decades,” Supertramp’s statement read, adding, “His music and legacy continue to inspire, a reminder that great songs never die.”
Davies is survived by his wife, Sue.
