Rick Davies of Supertramp (1944-2025)

When we heard about the death of Supertramp founder Rick Davies a few hours ago, we wanted to pay tribute to him. Rick and the rest of the group were no strangers to us. Since Canada was very instrumental in the story of Supertramp from the mid ‘70s on, they visited our CHUM-FM Toronto studios often.

As a Supertramp fan, I am intrigued by the dueling personalities of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson. By 1979, when they were promoting Breakfast In America, they admitted that they hadn’t worked closely together since Crime Of The Century, which in my opinion still stands as a masterpiece.

To hear more from Supertramp, check out episode 606 when we hear from both Rick and Roger as they deal with their fracturing partnership.

Today I discovered an interview that I hadn’t previously heard. It’s from 1988 and Supertramp is still coming to terms with the departure of Roger Hodgson. But we also hear Rick’s fierce determination to carry on and to continue making music that’s meaningful to him… whether it sells millions of copies or not. In this chat, they are talking about their 1988 tour and the most recent (and final) Supertramp album, "Free As A Bird".

From February of 1988, it's Rick Davies of Supertramp in conversation with Gord James.

Rick Davies died on Sept 6, 2025 at the age of 81.