Supertramp members list explored as co-founder Rick Davies passes away at 81

81-year-old Rick Davies, co-founder of British progressive rock and pop band Supertramp, has passed away. Davies had been suffering from multiple myeloma, which was diagnosed in 2015, according to Variety.

The band announced Davies’ passing through a statement released to Variety, which read,

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

Davies formed Supertramp in 1969 when Roger Hodgson responded to an ad released by Davies in the newspaper, which called for bandmates, as per Entertainment Weekly.

At the time, the band was called Daddy and included guitarist Richard Palmer and percussionist Keith Baker. Baker was replaced early on in the band’s life by an actor, Robert Millar.

Supertramp evolved over the years with Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson remaining a constant driving force

In 1970, Supertramp came out with their first self-titled album. The album failed to generate widespread recognition according to All Music, and the composition of the band with the exit of Robert Millar and Richard Palmer.

All Music notes that Hodgson began playing the guitar as new members, including bassist Dave Winthrop who played the flute and the saxophone and bassist Frank Farrell and drummer Kevin Currie.

The band’s second album, Indelibly Stamped, released in 1971 also failed to make a mark in the industry and all of the band’s members, barring Davies and Hodgson left.

The band revamped and added bassist Dougie Thomson, percussionist Bob C. Benberg and John Anthony Helliwell joined to play the sax, woodwinds and keyboards, notes All Music.

Meanwhile, Davies took up the piano and Hodgson remained on the guitar, the electric piano and the vocals.

Eventually, the band tasted commercial success with the 1974 album titled Crime of the Century, with its singles such as Dreams and Bloody Well Right standing out, as per Entertainment Weekly.

The band’s 1977 album, In the Quietest Moments also produced the hit track, Give a Little Bit.

Supertramp’s 1979 album, titled Breakfast in America produced its most well-known hits such as Goodbye Stranger, The Logical Song and Take the Long Way Home.

The album also won the band two Grammy awards and reached a 4x Platinum certification, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The band began facing testing times when Hodgson, their lead vocalist on all of their greatest hits, clashed with the band members. Eventually, the conflict led to Hodgson’s exit in 1983 after producing Supertramp’s seventh album, as per Variety.

In the aftermath of Hodgson’s exit, All Music notes that Davies and the band began working with more experimental genres instead of pop.

However, the band retired after its 1987 album, Free As a Bird. The band did return in 1996 however with a new-lineup composed of Davies, Mark Hart on the guitars, Jesse Siebenberg and John Anthony Helliwell.

The band released an album Some Things Never Change and a studio set in 1997 and 2002 respectively.

During a tour in 2010 to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary, the band came together with Davies, Helliwell, Cliff Hugo, Gabe Dixon, Bob Siebenberg, John and Carl Verheyen.

Lee Thornburg also became a part of Supertramp during its later years, playing the trombone, trumpet, keyboards and also providing backing vocals.