Supertramp Loses Its 'Heartbeat'

Rick Davies, co-founder and frontman of British rock band Supertramp, has passed away at 81. The musician died Saturday at his home on Long Island "after a long illness," the band announced Sunday, acknowledging "the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over 50 years," per the Guardian. Davis had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, in 2015, forcing the band to cancel a European reunion tour as he underwent treatment. He was "the voice and pianist behind Supertramp's most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark on rock music history," the band said. "His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the band's sound."

Born in Swindon in 1944, Davies first trained as a drummer before turning to the keyboard. In 1969, he put out an ad for musicians to join the band he was forming and got a reply from Roger Hodgson, who would become Supertramp's co-frontman. The band hit it big with 1974's "Bloody Well Right," written by Davies, followed up by 1977's "Give a Little Bit," written and sung by Hodgson. Their sixth studio album, 1979's Breakfast in America, featuring "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song," sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and won two Grammys. Hodgson left the band to pursue a solo career in 1984, leading the band to break up in 1988, though it later reformed, per CNN. Davies' wife, Sue, whom he married in 1977, had been Supertramp's manager since 1984.