Rick Davies, who was co-founder and lead singer for British rock band Supertramp, has died at age 81 after a decade-long battle with cancer, the group announced Sunday, September 7.
As co-writer with partner Roger Hodgson, Davies was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp's most iconic songs, leaving a mark on rock music history with hits like "Goodbye Stranger" and "Bloody Well Right." "His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands' sound," the band said, whose progressive rock was among the most successful in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Born in Swindon, England in 1944, Davies discovered his passion for music as a child listening to Gene Krupa's "Drummin' Man," which sparked a lifelong love of jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll.
In 2015, the singer announced he was suffering from multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, and began "aggressive treatment" that forced Supertramp to cancel a European tour. He then suffered from it for over a decade, and the band never performed again. The singer died Saturday at his home on Long Island in the United States, according to Rolling Stone.
Supertramp achieved massive commercial success with albums including Crime of the Century (1974), Crisis? What Crisis? (1975) and their breakthrough Breakfast in America (1979), topping charts in the US and Canada, winning two Grammys and selling over 18 million copies worldwide. Supertramp was known for their art rock albums and theatrical live performances, helping define the progressive rock era alongside pioneering bands like Pink Floyd and Yes.
"Beyond the stage, Davies was known for his warmth, resilience and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared over five decades of marriage," the band said.
After serious health challenges forced him to stop touring with Supertramp, Davies continued performing with his local group Ricky and the Rockets in his hometown, they added. "Rick's music and legacy continue to inspire many and bear testament to the fact that great songs never die, they live on," the statement said.