Rick Davies, co-founder of the legendary British group Supertramp, dies at 81.

British musician Rick Davies , co-founder, vocalist and main songwriter of the legendary band Supertramp , has died at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer, the group confirmed in a statement. Along with Roger Hodgson, Davies defined the group's identity, which went from progressive rock to worldwide success with 'Breakfast in America' (1979), an album that consolidated Supertramp as one of the most influential names in the music scene of the time.

The author and performer of songs like "Goodbye Stranger" and "Bloody Well Right," Davies kept the band alive after Hodgson's departure in 1983, leading them on tours and in new projects for more than three decades. "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Rick Davies after a long illness. It was a privilege to know him and play with him for over 50 years," the band said in their official farewell.

“His soulful voice and unmistakable Wurlitzer playing became the heartbeat of the group’s sound,” the statement from his former bandmates continues. “He was known for his warmth, resilience, and devotion to his wife, Sue, with whom he shared over five decades. After facing serious health issues that prevented him from continuing to tour with Supertramp, he enjoyed playing with his lifelong friends in the band Ricky and the Rockets. Rick’s music and legacy continue to inspire many and are proof that great songs never die, but live on.”

Born in Swindon, England, in 1944, he initially trained as a drummer and then as a keyboardist, developing an unmistakable style that made him a household name. One of his first bands, Rick's Blues, featured future "Alone Again, Naturally" singer Gilbert O'Sullivan on drums. In 1969, he used an advertisement to form a new band, and Hodgson was one of the musicians who responded. After a brief period under the name Daddy, they changed their name to Supertramp in January 1970.

The band signed to A&M and released two albums almost back-to-back, 'Supertramp' in 1970 and 'Indelibly Stamped' in 1971, but their first major success came with the album 'Crime of the Century' and the Davies-penned single 'Bloody Well Right'. Their popularity continued to grow with the 1975 album 'Crisis? What Crisis?' and 'Even in the Quietest Moments', released two years later with another high-profile single, this time written by Hodgson, 'Give a Little Bit'.

But it was with 'Breakfast in America' that they broke sales records, released in the spring of 1979, which reached number one in countries such as Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States, among others. All of its singles were huge hits, from the title track to 'Take the Long Way Home', 'Goodbye Stranger' and especially 'The Logical Song'. The album would become famous again much later, when some fans credited it with having a prophetic cover regarding the World Trade Center attack : if you look at the cover in mirror image, the u and the p in the word Supertramp become a 9 and an 11, which are right above the Twin Towers.

This was followed by the live album 'Paris' (1980), but differences between Hodgson and Davies led to the former's departure in 1983, shortly after the release of the group's seventh album, '...Famous Last Words...'. Davies remained with the band for four further studio albums, 'Brother Where You Bound' (1985), 'Free as a Bird' (1987), 'Some Things Never Change' (1997) and 'Slow Motion' (2002), and two live albums, 'Live '88' (1988) and 'It Was the Best of Times' (1999).

In 1993, there was a hint of a reunion between Davies and Hodgson , when they played together for the first time in ten years at a tribute to Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where they played 'The Logical Song' and 'Goodbye Stranger'. After the event, the two collaborated for six months, rehearsing songs such as 'You Win I Lose' and 'And the Light', both of Davies' previous compositions, but the meeting did not come to fruition and the two went their separate ways. Years later, there would be two more attempts at a reunion, which also failed.

Following Supertramp's final album, 'Slow Motion', all members of the group except Rick Davies pursued side projects. John Helliwell formed the group Créme Anglaise with Mark Hart and released a self-titled album in 2005, while Bob Siebenberg was part of the group Todd Hannigan And The Heavy 29's with his son Jesse. Davies, meanwhile, continued touring under the name Supertramp until 2022, and also as Ricky and the Rockets. It was in 2015 that he was diagnosed with myeloma (a cancer of the plasma cells), which ultimately claimed his life.