Rick Davies, the co-founder, pianist and distinctive voice behind Supertramp, has died at 81. He passed away at his Long Island home on Saturday after a long fight with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer he had battled for about a decade. Davies helped shape the band’s sound with his soulful singing and unmistakable Wurlitzer piano touch — qualities that carried Supertramp through both critics’ rooms and stadiums.
From Swindon bands to a Melody Maker ad
Davies grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire, and cultivated his love of music early on — a childhood fondness for records such as Gene Krupa’s “Drummin’ Man” opened the door to a lifelong appetite for jazz, blues and rock ’n’ roll. He played in several groups, including one called The Joint, but commercial success remained elusive until a chance backer entered the picture: Dutch patron Stanley August Miesegaes agreed to support Davies if he formed a new band.
In 1969 Davies placed an advert in Melody Maker seeking musicians, and that notice led to the formation of Supertramp. With financial support in the band’s first years, Davies set about assembling the lineup that would grow into a commercially and culturally significant act.
Breakthrough albums and signature songs
Supertramp’s rise came in stages. Their third album, Crime of the Century (1974), gave them their first major chart traction. The group’s real international breakthrough arrived with Breakfast in America (1979), an album that produced several enduring hits and sold in the millions worldwide. The LP included crowd favorites such as “The Logical Song,” the title track and Davies’ own compositions and performances — notably “Bloody Well Right” and “Goodbye Stranger.” The record earned widespread commercial success and Grammy recognition, cementing the band’s place in rock history.
The partnership — and the split
Davies co-wrote much of Supertramp’s material with Roger Hodgson, and the two frontmen shared songwriting and vocal duties through the band’s peak years. Tensions eventually surfaced, however: Hodgson departed in 1983 to pursue other projects, leaving Davies to sustain the band’s name and touring presence. Davies continued to record and perform under the Supertramp banner for years afterward.
Money, lawsuits and settlements
Financial arrangements inside the band shifted over time. In 1977 Davies and Hodgson agreed to scale back their 50% songwriting share to allocate payments to the band’s other members and manager — a structure intended to keep the group functioning. That arrangement stayed in place for decades but ultimately unraveled. In 2021, bassist Dougie Thomson, saxophonist John Helliwell and drummer Bob Siebenberg brought legal action against Hodgson and Davies. Davies reached an out-of-court settlement in 2023, and a U.S. appeals court has more recently issued rulings affecting how royalties should be shared among the former members.
Health challenges and final years
Davies remained musically active despite mounting health issues. A planned Supertramp reunion tour announced in 2015 was cancelled when Davies was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. As touring with the band became impossible, he found other ways to play: he performed locally with friends under the name Ricky and the Rockets, staying connected to the music and to his hometown roots.
A life beyond the stage
Outside the spotlight, Davies was widely remembered for his warmth and steady character. He and his wife Sue were married for more than five decades, and the band’s tribute highlighted his devotion to her and his resilience in the face of illness. Supertramp’s classic lineup — which also featured Thomson, Helliwell and Bob Siebenberg — helped define a sound that blended literate lyrics, melodic hooks and distinctive keyboard textures.
What he leaves behind
Rick Davies leaves a catalog of songs that continue to find new listeners and a legacy as one of the architects of a particular late-20th century rock sound. As co-writer, singer and pianist, he helped steer Supertramp through its most successful years and kept the band’s wheels turning after members came and went. Those who remember him point to a warm personality, a sharp musical sense and a rare ability to make a piano line stick in your head — the kind of musical gifts that ensure good songs survive long after their creators are gone.
