The British rock band Supertramp has confirmed that founding member Rick Davies passed away on September 5 at his Long Island residence following an extended illness. He was 81 years old.
The musician, who established the progressive rock group alongside Roger Hodgson, had been battling cancer for several years.
The band released an official statement on Sunday expressing their sorrow at the loss of their co-founder.
“The Supertramp Partnership is very sad to announce the death of the Supertramp founder Rick Davies after a long illness,” the statement read.
“We had the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over fifty years. We offer our sincere condolences to Sue Davies.”
Davies had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer affecting white blood cells, in 2015.
Born in Swindon in 1944, Davies developed an early passion for music after hearing Gene Krupa’s “Drummin’ Man”. He initially trained as a drummer before transitioning to keyboards.
His early group, Rick’s Blues, featured Gilbert O’Sullivan on drums, who would later credit Davies as an important influence. Following performances with various ensembles, Davies placed an advertisement seeking musicians for a new project in 1969.
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