British musician and co-founder of progressive pop-rock band Supertramp Rick Davies has passed away at the age of 81.
The band announced his death on September 6, with Davies having fought multiple myeloma for over ten years.
His soulful voice and unmistakable fingerpicking on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the band sound,” Supertramp posted to social media in a statement commemorating his influence on their music.
Davies was born in 1944 in Swindon, England. He became interested in music at an early age when he heard Gene Krupa’s “Drummin’ Man.” Although he began by playing jazz and blues, his career changed in 1969 when, in search of band members, he placed an ad in Melody Maker. This ad brought Roger Hodgson to him, and the two would eventually create Supertramp.
Even with their decidedly different upbringings – Davies with his working-class determination and Hodgson with his Beatles-inspired idealism – the pair’s partnership imbued Supertramp with its unique magic. They both metamorphosed from performing Bob Dylan covers into crafting the sweeping, saxophone-infused rock ballads that would come to characterize the band’s sound during the 1970s.
Supertramp’s breakthrough came with their 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments, which reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200. Two years later, they followed with Breakfast in America, the album that solidified their position in rock history. With hits like “Goodbye Stranger,” written by Davies, and “The Logical Song,” the album went multi-platinum and captured both the optimism and cynicism of the times.
While Hodgson left in 1982 following the release of …Famous Last Words…, Davies went on to front Supertramp with various lineups throughout the next several decades. The band played their last live performance in Madrid in 2012, yet Davies stayed active in music. He frequently gigged with friends in a small local band named Ricky and the Rockets, even after his cancer diagnosis rendered major tours out of the question.
Through the decades, Davies’ baritone lead and songcraft distinguished him as one of rock’s most lasting figures. Fans and artists alike recall him for his capacity to marry intricate arrangements with pop sensibilities, leaving behind a legacy of songs that continue to resonate across generations.
Rick Davies’ own legacy is not just defined by the evergreen Supertramp hits but by the enduring impact his work had on progressive rock and pop as well.
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