Supertramp

Photo Credit: Rick Davies performing with Supertramp in 1979 by Ueli Frey / CC by 4.0

Supertramp co-founder, frontman, and songwriter Rick Davies has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81.

Rick Davies, one of two co-founders, frontmen, and primary songwriters of the British band Supertramp, has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer at age 81. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015. Davies wrote and sang such Supertramp hits as “Bloody Well Right” and “Goodbye Stranger.”

“The Supertramp Partnership is very sad to announce the death of the Supertramp founder, Rick Davies, after a long illness,” said the band in a statement. “Rick passed away at his home on Long Island on September 5. We had the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over fifty years. We offer our sincere condolences to Sue Davies.”

Rick Davies had a deeper and less distinctive voice than his co-founding partner, Roger Hodgson, who wrote and sang the band’s biggest hit, “The Logical Song.” But it was Davies who kept the band going after Hodgson parted ways with the group in 1983 following numerous disputes and creative differences.

Davies became obsessed with music at an early age, and he played with different bands as a drummer and later as a keyboardist. But in 1969, Davies decided to form his own band instead of filling in for others.

The band got its early start as an act called Daddy, but they quickly renamed themselves Supertramp in January 1970. Supertramp signed with A&M, and only grew in popularity with each album. Gradually, they evolved from a prog rock group into an unexpected chart-topper, particularly with the album Breakfast in America in 1979.

Supertramp quickly became a household name, but that momentum didn’t last. Hodgson left the group in 1983 after falling out with his bandmates, chiefly over songwriting royalties and other disputes—some of which have carried on in court as recently as last month.

Davies kept the band going for four more albums. The last was 2002’s Slow Motion. Supertramp also continued to perform as recently as 2022, but often under the name Ricky and the Rockets.