Rick Davies, the founder, songwriter, singer and keyboardist of the English rock group Supertramp, has died at 81. Davies died on September sixth on the age of 81 after battling A number of Myeloma for over 10 years.
“The Supertramp Partnership is very sad to announce the death of the Supertramp founder, Rick Davies after a long illness,” the assertion reads. “We had the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over fifty years. We offer our sincere condolences to Sue Davies.”
Richard Davies was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1944. His mom, Betty, was a hairdresser, whereas his father, Dick, was a service provider marine. His curiosity in music started in his childhood when his mother and father gifted him a secondhand radiogram. The earlier proprietor had left behind a number of data, together with “Drummin’ Man” by Gene Krupa. In Davies’ personal phrases, “it hit like a thunderbolt.” A household good friend quickly constructed Davies a drum package out of a biscuit tin and he was on his means, becoming a member of the British Railways Workers Affiliation’s Brass and Silver Jubilee Band on the age of 12.
Within the late Nineteen Fifties, Davies joined a band referred to as Vince and the Vigilantes. A number of years later, he shaped his personal group, Rick’s Blues. When his father turned in poor health, Davies left Swindon School, the place he had been finding out artwork, to take a job at a manufacturing facility. In 1966, he lied about his musical skills to turn into the organist for a bunch referred to as The Lonely Ones. The band, later renamed the Joint, discovered delicate success touring and recording scores for German movies.
With the backing of a Dutch millionaire, Davies determined to type his personal group and positioned an advert in Melody Maker in August 1969. Regardless of variations of their voices and backgrounds, he discovered a kindred spirit in Roger Hodgson, and the 2 started writing music collectively. At first, they referred to as their progressive rock mission Daddy, however later renamed it as Supertramp. In August 1970, they launched their self-titled debut on A&M. Their second album, 1971’s Indelibly Stamped, was a industrial flop, although its cowl artwork of a topless lady induced a stir.
In 1973, Supertramp established a lineup that may final for a decade: drummer Bob Siebenberg (on the time credited as Bob C. Benberg), brass and woodwind participant John Helliwell, and bassist Dougie Thomson. Davies and Hodgson’s songwriting bond had diminished, and the 2 would write individually, although songs had been credited to each.
In 1974 a younger A&M Data A&R government, Dave Margereson, left the label to turn into the band’s full-time supervisor. Supertramp, alongside household, buddies and crew, moved to a cottage referred to as Southcombe in Somerset, the place they labored on materials for his or her third album. 1974’s Crime of the Century was the breakthrough that Supertramp wanted. The file launched them into the UK high 5 and U.S. Billboard high 40 album charts by way of hit singles like “School,” “Dreamer,” and the Davies-penned “Bloody Well Right.”
The band’s followup, 1975’s Disaster? What Disaster?, was launched simply 13 months later and was recorded between excursions. Now regarded by many because the bridge from their earlier prog data to their extra commercially profitable interval, the album was written because the band labored to maintain up with their newfound success. A number of scrapped tracks from Crime of the Century appeared on the album.
After 1977’s Even within the Quietest Moments…, which produced the hit “Give A Little Bit”, Supertramp relocated to Los Angeles. They embraced a pop-forward sound on Breakfast in America, their definitive album. The album produced 4 profitable singles, together with the Davies-penned “Goodbye Stranger.” Breakfast in America went quadruple platinum and gained two Grammy Awards and was nominated for Album of the Yr. Supertramp then launched a dwell album, 1980’s Paris. The 2-LP dwell album was recorded principally on the Pavillon de Paris in November 1979. Their subsequent album, 1982’s …Well-known Final Phrases…. , featured the hits “It’s Raining Again” and “My Kind of Lady” and peaked at No. 5 within the US.
In 1985, Supertramp launched its first album with out Hodgson, Brother The place You Sure. It included the hit “Cannonball.” Underneath Davies’ lead, Supertramp experimented with synthesizers on 1987’s Free as a Hen. Although “I’m Beggin’ You” reached #1 on the US dance charts, the album was poorly acquired. By 1988, Supertramp had light “away like an old soldier,” per Davies.
In 1993, Hodgson and Davies reunited for a celebration honoring A&M co-founder Jerry Moss. They briefly recorded new demos, however quickly went their separate methods as soon as once more. After a reunion tour, in 1997 Supertramp launched Some Issues By no means Change. In 2002, Supertramp, nonetheless sans Hodgson, launched its last album, Sluggish Movement. A 2015 Supertramp tour was in the end cancelled as a consequence of Davies’ well being as he was battling a number of myeloma.
Nonetheless, as an announcement despatched within the wake of his passing famous, Davies’s “music and legacy continue to inspire many and bears testament to the face that great songs never die, they live on.”
