Rick Davies, the British musician who co-founded the 1970s rock band Supertramp and provided the voice and piano behind some of its biggest hits, died Sept. 5 at his home on Long Island. He was 81.
The Supertramp Partnership announced Davies’ death in a statement on the band’s Facebook page, saying he had died "after a long illness" following a decade-long battle with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. The post offered condolences to Davies’ wife, Sue Davies, and included a line from the group’s 1979 song "Goodbye Stranger": "Goodbye stranger it's been nice / Hope you find your paradise..." The statement added that Davies’ "soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the band's sound."
Davies co-founded Supertramp in 1970 with Roger Hodgson. The pair recruited bassist Dougie Thomson, drummer Bob Siebenberg and saxophonist and keyboardist John Helliwell, and the lineup that emerged in the mid-1970s produced the band's most commercially successful period. Supertramp's catalog included the hits "Give a Little Bit," "The Logical Song," "Take the Long Way Home," "Goodbye Stranger" and the chart-topping album "Breakfast in America."
Supertramp earned multiple industry honors during its peak, receiving four Grammy nominations, including a nomination for Album of the Year for 1979’s "Breakfast in America." Two of the band’s albums were certified diamond in Canada, reflecting strong international sales that helped cement the group’s global profile.
Creative differences led Hodgson to leave the band after the 1982 release "Famous Last Words," and the classic partnership that had defined Supertramp’s sound dissolved in the early 1980s. Davies and the remaining members continued to perform and record; the group’s last studio album, "Slow Motion," appeared in 2002.
Davies’ health struggles became public in 2015, when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma just as Supertramp had planned a 25-date European reunion. The tour was canceled as Davies focused on treatment. Band members and fans had continued to express support in the years since his diagnosis.
Born in Swindon, England, in 1944, Davies helped shape Supertramp’s blend of art-rock and pop with his songwriting, piano work and distinctive, soulful delivery. In the band’s statement, his colleagues said they had "the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over fifty years," and they offered their "sincere condolences to Sue Davies." The announcement and outpouring on social media reflected the enduring popularity of the group's music and Davies’ role in its creation.
Davies is survived by his wife. The Supertramp Partnership said further details about memorial arrangements would be announced at a later date.