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Keyboardist, singer and songwriter Rick Davis is best known for his hits in the 1970s as “Goodbye Stranger,” “Givea a Logical Song,” and “The Bloody Well.”
The band’s social media accounts shared a statement on Sunday, September 7th that Davis had been battling multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, for more than a decade.
“As a co-writer, along with his partner Roger Hodgson, he is the voice and pianist behind Super Trump’s most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark in the history of rock music,” read the statement. “His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch of Vollitzer have been the heartbeat of the band’s sound.”
According to the band’s biography, Davis, born in Swindon, England, was in a group called Joint when they broke up in 1969. With the support of a Dutch billionaire named Stanley “Sam” Miejes, Davis began a new music project. In search of a musician, he placed an advertisement in the British music publication Melody Maker, attracting the attention of singer, guitarist and songwriter Roger Hodgson, leading to the formation of Super Trump.
The group’s first two albums, Super Tramp (1970) and Indellibly Stamped (1971), did not burn the charts commercially. But it was their third release, a crime of the century in 1974 – with a lineup of classic bands from Davis, Hodgson, drummer Bob Siebenberg, bassist Dougie Thomson and saxophonist John Heliwell.
Did Super Trump’s career continue on an upward trajectory with the release of his next album, “Crisis”? What kind of crisis? (1975) and even in the quietest moments (1977). Then breakfast in America in 1979 became the biggest smash of the group’s career. The highly popular album peaked at number one on the Billboard album chart, with hits on the hits “The Logical Song”, “Goodbye Stranger”, the title track and “Take The Long Way Home”. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
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The band’s foundation was built on the co-written songwriting of Davis and Hodgson. He sang leads on most of Super Trump’s hits, but their partnership began to break up by the early 1980s. The group released an album… a famous last word… It was a hit in 1982 with “It’s Raining Again.” In 1983, Hodgson left Super Trump.
“Hodgson and Davis were not hostility, not philosophy, but drifting further apart. Hodgson built a house in the mountains of Northern California where he raised his family and pursued spiritual benefits.
Despite Hodgson’s departure, Davies and other members of SuperTramp recorded the 1985 Brother Where Where and 1987 Free As a Bird album. After the 1988 tour, the band went on hiatus until eight years later when Davis rebuilt Hodgson, except for the new Super Trump lineup. Revived Band recorded two more studio albums. Plans for the 2015 tour were turned down after Davies was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
“Beyond the stage, Rick was known for his warmth, resilience and dedication to his wife Sue. “After facing serious health challenges, he was unable to continue to tour as Super Trump, so he enjoyed playing the buds of his hometown as Ricky and the Rockets.”
Among the Super Trump songs led by Davies included “Bloody Well Right,” “From Now On,” and “Goodbye Stranger.”
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“Rick’s music and legacy continues to inspire many and the Bears’ testimony to the fact that great songs never die and are alive,” the statement concluded.
