Dave Winthrop

Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, consisted of Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone), after which the group's lineup changed numerous times, with Davies being the only constant member throughout its history.

Supertramp found no success with their first two albums, but after a lineup change into what became their classic lineup, their third album, Crime of the Century (1974), was their breakthrough. Initially a more experimental prog-rock group, they began moving towards a more pop-oriented sound with the album. The band reached their commercial peak with 1979's Breakfast in America, which yielded the international top 10 singles "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America", "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take the Long Way Home". Their other top 40 hits included "Dreamer" (1974), "Give a Little Bit" (1977) and "It's Raining Again" (1982).

In 1982 Supertramp released …Famous Last Words…, the last album to feature Hodgson, who left in 1983 to pursue a solo career. The band continued with Davies as the sole leader and released two more albums until 1988. After this, they disbanded for a time and periodically reformed in various configurations (always with Davies, and without Hodgson), recording and touring two further albums, Some Things Never Change (1997) and Slow Motion (2002). Davies died in 2025.