Rick Davies, co-founder of Supertramp, dies at 81

Rick Davies , co-founder, singer and songwriter of Supertramp , has died at the age of 81 , the British rock band has confirmed, adding that he had been suffering from myeloma for nearly ten years.

Davies was born in Swindon on July 22, 1944, and died this past Saturday in Long Island , USA . The group recalled on its website that his love of music began as a child listening to Gene Krupa 's Drummin' Man , after which he developed a passion for jazz , blues , and rock 'n' roll .

Davies founded Supertramp in 1969 in London with Roger Hodgson. Dreamer , Bloody Well Right , Breakfast in America , Goodbye Stranger and Even in The Quietest Moments are some of the group's biggest hits.

As a co-writer, according to the band's website, he was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp 's most iconic songs, "leaving an indelible mark on rock history." "His soulful voice and unmistakable Wurlitzer playing became the heartbeat of the band's sound," the statement said, referring to the electric piano that became their signature, especially in the 1970s and 1980s.

Offstage, the statement said, Davies was known "for his warmth, resilience and devotion to his wife , Sue, with whom he shared more than five decades."

"After facing serious health problems that prevented him from continuing to tour with Supertramp, he enjoyed playing with his lifelong friends in the band Ricky and the Rockets ," said the group, which Hodgson left in 1983 to pursue his solo career.

"Rick's music and legacy continue to inspire many and are proof that great songs never die , they live on," Supertramp concluded in their tribute to Davies, who was diagnosed with myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells, in 2015.