Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

by Dan MacIntosh



The Supertramp Songfacts pages have always been some of our most popular. These are songs of significant depth that make us look inside ourselves and discover who we are; songs that help us along our journey.

The Supertramp version of Lennon/McCartney is Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, who formed the band in Engand in 1969. They wrote separately, but always credited the songs to both of them, and the writer sang lead. Rick's compositions include "Bloody Well Right," "Goodbye Stranger" and "Crime of the Century." Some of Roger's are "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home," "The Logical Song" and "Breakfast in America" (the one that Gym Class Heroes reworked on "Cupid's Chokehold").

Roger left the band in 1983 and released two solo albums before becoming a full time parent in 1987. He put out his third solo album in 2000 and began touring again, playing those hits that are better described as "timeless" than "old" - listen to them again and you'll hear that they are more meaningful than ever today.

Some of Roger's best performances are compiled on his Classics Live collection, recorded on tour stops around the world. Not only does Roger continue to play his hits, but he relishes them - it was very refreshing to hear an artist say this: "My job is to give people the most in the two hours that I'm with them. And if that means playing songs that mean a lot to them, then that's what I will do."
Dan MacIntosh (Songfacts): I didn't realize that you're a California guy like me.

Roger Hodgson: Yeah. I'm an English transplant to California.

Songfacts: Breakfast in America was such a great album, had such an impact on me when I bought it back when I was in high school. It almost seemed like you had a beef with America and American culture. But since you chose to put down roots in America, you must like us after all.

Hodgson: [Laughs] Well, I'm still here. For a 24-year-old Englishman, coming to California for the first time was like dying and going to heaven. I just loved the openness of the people, there were no class systems, it was sunny, it was warm, there was space. There was natural beauty within an hour's drive. It was pretty unbelievable. And I just loved the openness of the people, really. Especially back in, what was it, '73, '74? I started out in Venice, California. That was a great place to land.

Songfacts: How long did you live in Venice?

Hodgson: I think maybe a year, year and a half, then I moved to Topanga Canyon and I bought a little house there. That was my first house that I bought. And a couple years later when I got a family, I moved to northern California.

Songfacts: Let's talk about the title cut of Breakfast in America. When you were talking about a girlfriend, were you putting yourself in character, or were you referring to somebody in particular?

Hodgson: I think I was putting myself in character. I'm trying to remember what kind of mood I was in that day, definitely a very whimsical one. I don't believe I had a girlfriend at that time, and if I did it wouldn't have lasted much longer after that. [laughs] The line "playing my jokes upon you," I think that kind of sums up the song. It was just mind chatter. Just writing down ideas as they came.

Songfacts: Stream of consciousness, then?

Hodgson: That's it, stream of consciousness. That's the word. Yes. Just had a lot of fun thoughts all strung together. And I do remember the Beatles had just gone to America, and I was pretty impressed with that. That definitely stimulated my dream of wanting to go to America. And obviously seeing all those gorgeous California girls on the TV and thinking, Wow. That's the place I want to go.

Songfacts: Did it live up to your expectations?

Hodgson: It did. Yes.

Songfacts: You mentioned the Beatles. Many have compared your partnership with Rick as being kind of like a Lennon/McCartney relationship. Can you elaborate on how your writing styles differ and how you worked together?

Hodgson: With Lennon and McCartney, except for the early days, I believe they wrote separately. As they became stronger songwriters, they started writing separately. And that was the case, really, with Rick and I. In the early days we collaborated, but then when the songwriting became more personal, it was something we did alone. And really, from Crime of the Century onwards, we were writing separately. And yet we kept the writers credit the same, probably because there was never a discussion and it would be just too uncomfortable to approach it and bother. We just kept it Davies/Hodgson, probably the same way Lennon and McCartney did. I know McCartney had some regrets later after their relationship wasn't doing too well. But for me, music has always been a very personal experience. Music was where I went to be alone to express my deepest heart and whatever I was experiencing in my life that was having an impact on me. And that was not something I could do with someone else. It was a very personal process where I could basically play an instrument and just get lost in my music. That's when magic happened, and that's when ideas popped up and often grew into a composition or a song.

In terms of Rick and I, we were very, very different as writers. I think it's good having another writer in the band, because then you have the friendly competition which helps bring out the best in each other, and I think that was the case with the two of us.

When it came down to arranging, I was really the main arranger in the band. I heard Rick's songs and heard what they wanted to be, so I added a lot of the colors and harmonies and textures to Rick's songs. And in the opposite way, Rick came up with some quirks on mine, so it was a relationship that worked on that level, too.

Songfacts: Do you think that "The Logical Song" is oftentimes misunderstood? And if so, in what way has it been misunderstood over the years?

Hodgson: I've never heard it actually being misunderstood. I think it's very easy to understand, actually.

Songfacts: Maybe another way to say it, is it over politicized, because you talk about being a liberal and some of the political elements. It seems like maybe people take that and run with it a little farther than you ever intended.

Hodgson: No. I think it was very relevant when I wrote it, and actually I think it's even more relevant today. It's very basically saying that what they teach us in schools is all very fine, but what about what they don't teach us in schools that creates so much confusion in our being. I mean, they don't really prepare us for life in terms of teaching us who we are on the inside. They teach us how to function on the outside and to be very intellectual, but they don't tell us how to act with our intuition or our heart or really give us a real plausible explanation of what life's about. There's a huge hole in the education. I remember leaving school at 19, I was totally confused. That song really came out of my confusion, which came down to a basic question: please tell me who I am. I felt very lost. I had to educate myself in that way, and that's why California was very good for me to kind of re-educate myself, if you like.

But it's interesting that that song, I hear it all the time, it's quoted in schools so much. I've been told it's the most-quoted song in school. That may be because it has so many words in it that people like to spell. But I think it also poses that question, and maybe stimulates something with students. I hope so.

Before speaking with Roger, we sent him this quote he made in at 1979 interview with the British music publication Melody Maker:
"Rock 'n' roll is just touching upon what's possible with music. I think of what we're doing as being very primitive. We haven't even begun to explore. The power of music has been forgotten. The ancients knew it, and we're rediscovering it very slowly. Music has the power to heal, to hypnotise, to make people totally sad, happy, joyous. I'd like to find out how to do all those things."
Songfacts: Do you think that music and pop songs help fill in the gaps of explaining who we are and why we're here, where maybe formal education falls short?

Hodgson: I'm not sure about that. I think pop songs actually add to the confusion. [Laughs] You had that question I was reading, it was kind of interesting, about a quote I said in '79 or something, about the potential of music. I think that unfortunately we've really trivialized music in general. I really think that the intention of music is there's no end to it, and we're using it in a very, very trivial way. And lyrically as well. I think artists should be represented in the better part of human nature, if you like, the part that wants to explore deeper issues and deeper things within themselves. That's the job of the artist, in a way. But there aren't too many artists, to tell you the truth, who inspire me. I think we've lost that. Whereas, when I was growing up, with The Beatles and all the bands and the artists that were around then, I had so much that was inspiring me, and it's sad to see so little inspiration coming from modern day artists.

Songfacts: That leads me to my next question. The Gym Class Heroes sample your song for a big hit of theirs ("Cupid's Chokehold"). What do you think about that?

Hodgson: Well, initially I had words with them, because they didn't ask me. But that was a technical thing. Funny enough, normally I don't like my compositions being tampered with, but there was something just very infectious about what they did, and I actually enjoyed what they wrote juxtaposed against what I wrote.

It's interesting, though, "Breakfast in America" kind of made their career. It's amazing.

Songfacts: Yes, it did. And it's interesting, because I had a chance to talk to the drummer in the band. He said that he really liked that album and was playing it around the time they were working on their album, and they ended up incorporating it into their music. Do you feel like re-contextualizing music can be as creative as starting from scratch with a new melody and new lyrics?

Hodgson: Whoa. You're talking to the wrong guy. I don't know. That's a difficult question to answer. I mean, any songwriter's been influenced by everything they've ever heard. I wouldn't dream of taking someone else's song and chopping it up and using it for my own ends. That wouldn't feel right to me.

Songfacts: Okay. So you've never sampled other songs to create your own songs?

Hodgson: No.

Songfacts: The song "Dreamer," makes me wonder are you a dreamer?

Hodgson: Well, I am, and I definitely was even more back then. I was a teenager, I had many dreams. And I feel very blessed that a lot of them came true. But that song flew out of me one day. We had just bought our first Wurlitzer piano, and it was the first time I'd been alone with a Wurlitzer piano back down in my mother's house. I set it up and I was so excited that that song just flew out of me.

Songfacts: Is it rare that a song comes that easily?

Hodgson: Yeah, but they came pretty common back then. They still come, but I think with the excitement of youth and the passion of youth, they came thick and fast back then. My late teens, early 20s were very, very prime to me as a songwriter.

Songfacts: You started very young writing songs. It's really rare that I talk to people that start as young as you did. Did you feel a little unusual that here you were, 16 years old, and you're writing complete songs?

Hodgson: It was just very natural. I was actually 12 when I started. The moment I laid hands on my first guitar, which was my dad's guitar, my parents actually got divorced and he left his guitar behind. I'd like to think it was on purpose for me. But anyway, it took it to boarding school and that became my lifeline, my best friend, and that's where I went. Every break I had I went to a quiet place where I could just play and play and play. And I started writing songs almost straightaway, so I was quite the introvert boy. That was where I was able to express what was going on inside.

Songfacts: I was looking at a set list from your show the other night in Temecula. And you encored with "Give a Little Bit" and "It's Raining Again." So let's start with "Give a Little Bit." What makes that song special for you?

Hodgson: I think it's a great song. I didn't realize it was when I first wrote it. It actually took me six years before I even brought it to the band. But I wrote it I think around 1970. That time, the late '60s, early '70s, was a very idealistic time, one of hope, a lot of peace and love and the dream of the '60s was still very alive and maturing, if you like. The Beatles had put out "All You Need is Love" a year prior to that. I believed in love - it was always for love - and just felt that was the most important thing in life.

That song has really taken on a life of its own, and I think it's even more relevant today than when I wrote it. Because we really are needing to value love in a much deeper way, and also we're needing to care. The song is basically saying: just show you care. You know, reach out and show you care. So in concert it's the perfect show closer, because what I try to do in my show over two hours is unify the audience and unify all of us. So that at the end, when everyone stands up for "Give A Little Bit," they're open and ready to open their hearts and sing at the top of their lungs and go away with a smile on their face. And that song really does, it has a very pure energy. The moment I start, people just start smiling. It's amazing.

Songfacts: That's got to make you feel good that your music can have that kind of effect on people.

Hodgson: It does. That's really why I'm doing it. It's not because I'm needing a huge career anymore. It's really because that's the way I can give a little bit, literally, in my life - just by giving people a little hope and joy for two hours, and hopefully helping them with their life. Because life is not easy for a lot of people right now.

Songfacts: Does it frustrate you at all that you're remembered for songs that are quite a bit older, and that maybe some of your fans just want to relive some of those older songs?

Hodgson: No, it doesn't. It really doesn't. I just feel very fortunate and blessed to have songs that mean so much to so many people. There are the fans who would say, "We need new material," and I try to play them a new song or two in the shows. In America now, because this is my first US tour, I need to connect the dots on this one. That's why the set list is very much my best-known songs.

Songfacts: So you make that connection so people can know where you came from and ease into where you are now?

Hodgson: Yes. Connecting the dots has been my manager's and my most difficult task. Because everyone knows my voice and everyone knows my songs, but they associate them with the band I was in, Supertramp, and not my own name. So even finding a way to tour in America has been very, very difficult. And one of the reasons I'm calling this the Breakfast in America Tour is because it helps to connect the dots. I play some of the hits from Breakfast in America and it was a great album, a great time, and it takes people back to that time in their lives, when maybe life was more simple.

But I'm not one of the artists who has to say, Okay, you have to listen to my new stuff now. I'm in the service industry, and my job is to give people the most in the two hours that I'm with them. And if that means playing songs that mean a lot to them, then that's what I will do. And luckily the songs that I've written, they're not for me, they're not old, and this is pure joy for me singing them, because they have not aged. They sound incredibly fresh and very relevant and current today. It's interesting that I've written songs that have just simply not aged. Well, there are a few that have.

Songfacts: You were blessed with great songs. When I was in high school I listened to Breakfast in America almost every day for probably a month. So it's been a real treat to hear you talk about your songs. And I hope that you do connect those dots.

Hodgson: Well, thank you, Dan. Keep going with the website, by the way. It's a wonderful Web site.

We spoke with Roger Hodgson on March 1, 2012
Get tour dates and more info on his Classics Live album at rogerhodgson.com
Photos: Rob Shanahan

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Comments: 30

  • Ricardo from Mexico CityGood interview . Too bad the interviewer ignore his solo albums
  • Bjorn from SeattleGary from USA, you are 100% correct.
  • Pedro from Porto- PortugalTo make a Supertranp "best of" , it will be a triple album. Thanks for this interview.
  • Kevin Stoda from OmanI am listening to The Logical Song and Johnny B. Too Good (Writer and Composer) at the same time. I think they show why many of the works of Roger are timeless. Although I fell in love with Supertramp through Breakfast in America, I really liked the darker songs, like those in Crime of a Century. Naturally, his owed to HISTORY Recalls... hit me as a history major in college head on.
  • Y. Loiselle from Edmonton, Alberta CanadaI have loved all of Supertramp from the late 70's right up until Hodgson's solo albums. Let's not talk about Cannonball, I just can't go there. When it comes to whether Roger was more justified in leaving the band, or if Rick bent over backwards to accommodate his partner's unreasonable demands, I think it's a half-dozen of one and six of the other.

    There's no denying that Roger's songs are by far the more spiritual songs. Heck, they're quite Christian-oriented, to put it bluntly. No, I don't mind that, especially because he didn't ram his message down our throats. Instead, he carefully and masterfully painted his sound pictures with the delicacy and artistry of the best of songwriters.

    On the other hand, Rick's bluesy, jazzy improv-style is inimitable. Listen to Downstream, Bloody Well Right, Crime of the Century. This music is the backbone of the band. I always said that the sum of the parts was better than any individual in the band. Unfortunately, Roger grew more and more disillusioned with the direction the band was going. I don't blame him.

    When I saw Supertramp in the late 80s, Rick and the boys played several of Roger's songs and it felt just s--tty. No one can replace Roger. When the agreement was made to avoid playing each other's songs, it appears clear to me that Rick broke that agreement. Not fair to Roger.

    I read a lot of articles about the feuding that went on when both decided to tour around 2012. Roger claims to have held an olive branch out to Rick to do a world tour of Breakfast in America's 35-year anniversary. Apparently, Sue Davies wanted absolutely nothing to do with Roger and that was that.

    When I saw Roger perform solo with his sax player in the mid 2000s, there was much to be desired. There lacked so much of "the band". It was an intimate setting of a couple hundred, and I'm sure that was due to the fact that Roger's name just didn't reach the masses as the Supertramp name could. I saw him again in 2012 with a full band and it made all the difference. Funny enough, I agree wholeheartedly with Gary from USA when he talks about Bob's sax solos. No way that Roger wrote those solos out note for note. Anyone who knows anything about sax, you don't write the solo note-for-note. You improvise and it just comes out. And Bob had such a knack for musicality and melodic creation. So, no, I don't believe Roger should be copying everything out without giving credit where it's due.

    Anyway, there's no chance in hell they'll regroup, in my opinion. Too bad, they were certainly better as a full band. My penchant is more for Roger's solitary songs... and being a guitarist, I tend to dig his intricate playing on 12-string.

    My two cents' worth.
  • Chris from St Anne's On Sea EnglandMusic is my life and Supertramp are indelibly stamped in my collection along with Fairport, Humble Pie , Renaissance, CSNY , Family, the Move/ELO, Genesis , Tamla and of course Messrs Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart et al. Thank you to all the Supertramp guys for forever pleasure in my 58 years
  • Debbie Lasquade from Lake Arrowhead California Mr Hodgson you are an amazing talent i feel in love with all your music i want to Thank You for your Awesome Talent i love your voice and the sincerity behind it is so heartfelt and in alot of ways speaks to us in life and lifes situations and dealings Thanks Again
  • Tony from San Diego, CaAmazing interview, very cool to read an interview from someone in the 70s that wasn't in Zeppelin, the Stones or the Who. Love them too but this was just way cool.
  • Ron from Muncy, PennsylvaniaGary from USA is way off base. Roger Hodgson was Supertramp. I have been to both Roger and Supertramp w/o Roger concerts and there is no comparison. When Supertramp broke up there was a gentlemans agrrement that Rick could use the Supertramp name if they did not perform Rogers songs. Davies showed he had no integrity and broke that and had hoffific results when he hired a terrible singer to do Rogers songs. Simply put...ROGER WAS SUPERTRAMP.
  • Roberta from São Paulo, BrazilThank you. I really enjoyed the interview.
  • Lawrence from U.s. PennsylvaniaSupertramp has always been my favorite band and I never thought they attained the popularity they deserved in the U.S. You can make a case that the band was unheralded overall as well, for example they should be in the rock n roll hall of fame. But, the band still enjoys success in Europe and Canada. I had the opportunity to see Supertramp in 1997 and again the venue should have been larger and sold out. The following year I saw Roger play in a small venue and after the show he allowed fans to come up and speak with him, he seemed very nice and I was surprised how down to earth and unpretentious he was. There was no entourage or bodyguards just him. I appreciate Gary's well written and thought out comments in this website. Like many fans, I to have always wondered what exactly happened to cause Roger to leave the band. From what I gathered over the years, Supertramp's break up was a culmination of a number of things. First, it seems Roger is upset because he feels the band is performing his copy written material without permission. Also, I have heard Roger say the band plays his songs also without permission. When I saw the band in 1997, they didn't play any of Roger's songs but that only one show, I can't attest to others. Another source of contention seemed to be Rick's and Roger's wives didn't get along and Rick's wife Sue, took over the management duties. By the way, the former bass guitarist Dougie Thomson also quit the band and said he wouldn't return as long as Sue Davies continued to manage the band. The other reason which Roger sights is to raise his children which is very commendable. You don't often hear that from musicians. There are probably other things that the public doesn't know about. I am going to reserve judgement because of that fact. A while ago, I heard a story that Rick went to Roger to discuss the possibility of returning to the band, those negotiations went on for well over a year and Roger still didn't return so there must be some deep seeded issues that went unresolved. Like Gary, I recently saw a video clip in which drummer Bob Seibenburg, I don't think I spelled that correctly, said Rick "bent over backwards" to accommodate Roger and Roger was being unreasonable. During the interview, a fan asked he saw Rick leave right after the show without greeting any of the fans. Bob's response was Rick is very shy and does better with one on one conversations. I am not sure if I believe that but again I will reserve judgement because I don't know for sure. I think after thirty years, the chances of a reunion is slim, but you never know. Supertramp's break up is not unusual, this happens to a lot of bands. It's interesting, you never hear of these things happening when they first start out. In fact, in the case of Supertramp, Rick and Roger got along quite well and after the two other members of the band quit after their first two albums, "Supertramp" and "Indelibly Stamped," both Rick and Roger remained close and eventually came up with a version of the band that was responsible for their success. Perhaps ego has something to do with it and I will not assign who's ego, probably a little of both.

    On another topic, there was so much more to Supertramp than just "Breakfast in America." Lets remember, from Crime of the Century to Famous Last Words, those albums went platinum and I believe merit the same attention as Breakfast in America. Unfortunately, this material gets overlooked frequently. Also, Supertramp has recieved some unwarranted and scathing reviews. Once I was in a music store and came across a copy of Rolling Stones review of bands. When I looked up Supertramp, I couldn't believe my eyes because of the appalling comments made. I never picked up a copy of Rolling Stone again. The bottom line is, this is a supremely talented group, who rightfully deserves to be characterized as legendary.
  • Gary from UsaWith every new interview, Roger Hodgson moves farther away from the facts about his time with Supertramp. The truth is that, although he was part of the band and wrote half the songs, he didn’t write their only hits, and the band moved on without him after 1983, as much as he hated it. Also, Roger did not found the band like he often implies and it wasn’t just his baby. It was originally Rick Davies’ band, and Roger joined it by audition. When Roger talks about the original Supertramp recordings of his songs, he makes it seem as if the fans only care about his voice, and that any contributions by the other band members are incidental and could have been played by anyone. Roger, it wasn’t just your songs or your voice – it was the magical synthesis of the entire group’s efforts. You may have had a vision of how you wanted the songs to sound, but your later live versions don’t sound as good as the original Supertramp versions, no matter how much you kid yourself and run down your former band mates.
    When Roger quit Supertramp in 1983, he was quoted in Rolling Stone (April 27, 1983) as stating that one of the main reasons was due to his enthusiastic use of LSD. (He tries to gloss over this fact now.) Also, he gave numerous interviews at the time about how he had literally hundreds of songs waiting to be recorded, and working within Supertramp was stifling him. If he had that many new songs, why has he only put out 31 new songs over five CD’s (two of them live collections) since 1984 – count them up. Roger’s story is that he quit recording in the mid-80’s to raise a family, but maybe there just aren’t that many new songs in him after all. If he does have some new songs, I wish he’d record them. I’d happily buy them, and put them in my collection with all the other Supertamp music, and not in a separate Roger Hodgson location. Because Roger, you’ll always be lumped in with Supertramp on my ipod.
    Roger constantly complains that when Supertramp tours, they play a few of his songs. Well, they may have been his babies, but to true fans, they are Supertramp songs. Granted, they don’t sound as good when the new singers perform them, but it’s still Rick and Bob and John playing their original parts, and that’s nearly as good.

    Hodgson tries to take credit for everything that Supertramp did when he was a member, as if he were the sole creator of the band, the driving force behind all the songs, the band’s success, and even their sound and instrumentation choices. Once he brought the songs to the band, they ceased to be just Roger Hodgson material anymore.

    For example: Roger Hodgson may have written “Child of Vision”, but what makes it truly great is Rick’s extended piano jam and eventual participation by John’s sax in the second half of the song. Even the first part, with Roger singing, wouldn’t be the same without Rick’s answer to Roger’s questions. What about “Take the Long Way Home”? The best part is the back-and-forth between the harmonica and sax in the instrumental middle of the song. Thanks, Roger, for writing the song, but it’s just a framework to hang what everyone in the band brought to it, and not just your unique voice.

    The band usually only plays three of Roger’s songs live in concert, “Breakfast in America”, “Take the Long Way Home”, and “The Logical Song.” Granted, Roger can sing them better than the new guys, but it’s still great to hear John’s solos and the rest of the band rocking. Roger ought to do Rick’s “Another Man’s Woman” or “Rudy”. No, wait – he doesn’t have the skill to do that.

    I’d always given credit to each player in Supertramp for coming up with his own solo work. For instance, I thought that John decided how to play his sax solos, and then the band would take the best version for the final recording. To hear Roger tell it, he personally heard every note from every instrument in his head first, and then he showed up and told the rest of the band how to play it, note for note. It was as if any session sax player could be hired off the street, instead of John giving his own interpretation to the songs. If I were a member of Supertramp, I would be irate at the way my contributions are being diminished and demeaned.

    Roger’s argument is that the songs are deeply personal, and that every part of them, even the arrangements played by the rest of the band, were created by him. If that’s that case, then what’s to stop Roger from claiming that Supertramp can’t use other portions of songs in concert – Not just Roger Hodgson compositions, but instrumental solos that Roger created as well? For example, the incredible guitar solo at the end of “Goodbye Stranger” seems to be pure Roger. If he did improvise that on his own, by his way of thinking it is a part of him, and every time someone else plays that solo with those particular notes in concert, they’re stealing that from him too. At what point will he realize that he was in a BAND, and his contributions – from the greatest song to the smallest instrumental segment – became part of the band’s body of work and legacy, and wasn’t his anymore.

    One only has to track down a few informal interviews with people such as Bob Siebenburg to realize that Rick Davies has bent over backwards to try and work with Roger over the years, especially relating to Roger joining the Supertramp tour a few years ago. Roger’s irrational demands were what prevented anything from eventually happening, no matter how much he tries to say something different anytime he can corner a reporter. I think that Rick Davies deserves a medal: He quietly takes the high road while Roger mouths off constantly and keeps playing the same old songs instead of recording and performing some of the hundreds of new songs that he’s claimed to have written over the last thirty-plus years.

    Oh, and one other thing: Roger, you’re in your sixties. Get rid of the Jesus haircut.
  • Andress from EcuadorRoger Is a legend!!!!! We are blessed to have him in our lifes! What a great great great gerat man!!
  • ThinkerNo, WE were blessed with his great songs.
  • Rissa Ciociola from Wayne, PaAll you have to do is see Roger once & you will be forever changed... you'll find yourself dreaming of his next show & even the one after that! Very few artists have an unchanged voice after all these years, and I promise you Roger *never* disappoints. He is the genius behind the many hits of Supertramp and this is the Breakfast In America World Tour with a full band! The audience will soon become your friends, sharing in all of the joy and the beautiful, ethereal music. Just imagine him, with his twelve-string guitar... "Even in the quietest moments, I wish I knew..." From one heart to another, go see him. You will leave glowing from the inside, your soul uplifted & a guaranteed smile on your face. :) "You find your way," & "I'll meet you when you're there!" :)

    Roger's official sites:

    Website: http://www.rogerhodgson.com
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rogerhodgsonofficial
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogerHodgson
    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MrRogerHodgson

    Visit the Tour Page at http://www.rogerhodgson.com/documents/tour.html
    for the latest up to the minute news about added tour dates or changes. There you will find Roger's complete schedule of shows, including ticket links, fan presale & on-sale information, maps, reviews, and more...

    Message from Roger to All Who Came to His Recent Shows
    Thank you for welcoming me back to America so enthusiastically. I'm really happy to be back touring and singing my songs that have meant so much to you for many years. I often tell people that I have the greatest fans in the world - and I look forward to playing for many more of you this year.
  • Larry from Ohioi must say that i am fifth of six children, born and raised in the moutains of pennsylvaina, came from a verbal,phyiscal and emotional abusive childhood..the very first time i heard roger sing the logical song i sat in the corner of my bedroom and cried..he has touched me with his music in ways i can not explain..i could always play supertramp and escape the life i had to live..it was like he could see deep in my soul..i hope some day i have the chance of a lifetime to meet roger, just to thank him for the words and music that brought me such comfert when i could find none anywhere else..to this day at 43, when i have a bad day or just feel lonely, i put on my supertramp, listen as roger takes me away to my specail place and comferts me, gives me hope, and i can tell that little boy in the corner he can stop crying now..thank you roger, you touch people in ways you will never know..
  • Tom from Orlando, FlI just want to explode for not picking Supertramp as a favorite band when I registered with Sogfacts.. I will fix that! Great interview! Was it done by phone or in person?
  • Willie from Scottsdale, AzThey were always a welcome change from the hard rock coming from England and the hippie folk music coming from the West Coast. They carved out a great niche.
  • Mathijs from Houten, NetherlandsInteresting read, thank you.
  • Eon from Albuquerque, NmGreat interview, Roger was so right about a lot of things. Supertramp has become one of my favorite bands. My favorite song has to be "A Soap Box Opera". Great band, great guy.
  • Candy P from CandyfishRoger Hodgson returns to the stage with all the force of his music and all the energy of his heart. A treat for the senses, enjoy one of the universal geniuses in the history of music. With his magnificent repertoire, his unmistakable voice, and musical quality, he will engrave an unforgettable moment in your memory. If you want to increase your happiness, this is your show. It will create a totally positive feeling. I'm sure when the show is over, you'll be thinking about the next one. Roger connects with his audiences in an extraordinary way. If your goal is to attend a show where there are no barriers between music and the heart, this is your show.
  • Candy from Candyfish
    Roger Hodgson, the music of your feelings, the songs of your life.

    Roger offers, both in his compositions of all their albums, past and present a repertoire with great success worldwide. A myth and genius of the history of world music very active today, with which we can enjoy live, as I have seen many comments, the concert of our lives.

    The connection between this genius and his audience in their live show is spectacular, a burst of positive energy, an outcrop of our deepest feelings and emotion that makes you always thinking about your next gig to go and see.

    For your own inspiration, Roger Hodgson is your best company, a company that for many of us have from all our life and always with us.

    There are no words to describe the great emotions that emerge when we hear his voice, his music and songs.

    And if all this, we add a person close to his fans and those around him and a wonderful team of professionals who perform their work with the best competition becomes Roger Hodgson "The essence of your harmony."

    If you want to do is attend a show where there are no barriers between music and the heart, this is your show.

    Roger Hodgson returns to the stage with all the force of his music and all the energy of your heart. A treat for the senses, enjoy one of the universal geniuses of music history. With their magnificent repertoire, his distinctive voice and musical quality, which to record an unforgettable moment in his memory.
  • Neil from EnglandHope Roger still thinks well of England,plenty of lush green and natural beauty from the rain!(he does according to London).He was born and grew up here,formulative experiences that informed the lyrics of School and Logical Song.I think he and Rick were writing from a similar perspective,about those on the margins,having a raw deal,dealt an unlucky hand by fate.Outright anger and contempt from Rick,Roger too but also tending to be reflective and searching for inner peace.Set to clever,inventive music-i think they were good for each other.Only we do not see much of him here for shows!
  • Irenecg from Italy&ukI discovered Roger only a couple of years ago, but knew his songs without knowing it as I was born at the end of 79 and my father used to play BIA all the time back then, apparently. it's amazing how many people dont know that Roger Hodgson is behind the best, most sensitive, deepest and most beautiful songs of supertramp. I am happy he is now connecting all the dots, he deserves all the love of his fans and the fame!! He came to the UK last year and I had the pleasure to see him in London, and will fly out to Italy and France to see hi, again. he is one of the very few artists who is a real Musician, inside out. My three small children absolutely love him, his Montreal DVD is the most played DVD in our house, the 5 year old learnt to spell on the PC by googling Roger's name and songs and by looking for his videos on YouTube. My 3.5 year old learnt to speak by Singing all of his songs (he is exceptionally talented, musically, but was very late with his speech) and my 15 month old girl has always been lulled to sleep with Roger's voice (and mine singing his songs) and now can already sing a few (hide in your shell, crazy, c'est le Bon, in jeopardy and more) she can make me understand clearly which one she wants on the iPod!! When an artist can get through to big and little people's hearts like this, to me, he has definitely succeeded in "finding how to do all of those things". I have often likened him to J.S.Bach, with whom he shares the birthday. There are no other Composers that can quite play The strings of my soul intuned like they do.
  • Lisa Doxrude from WisconsinThis interview reflects the heart of Roger and the people around him. The music connects, communicates with it's listeners to bring them together.

    The impossible task is to find the words to explain what one experiences, feels when buy a ticket and goes to a Roger Hodgson concert. As someone whose passion is music, the buying of the ticket is sacred. Then you wait for months knowing you have this special jewel hidden away....waiting for the magical day to arrive.

    In many cases I have enjoyed the performances, being glad I was able to hear one more artist's/band's music live......

    A Roger Hodgson performance is beyond description......from the minute he and the band hit the stage, it is ALL TO CLEAR he is there for the fans. Roger spends his time on stage connecting with his fans. He makes eye contact, points, responds to shout outs, laughs, giggles and last but not least "Smile continually".

    Now, let's talk about the voice that sounds better then ever and the musicality of all on the stage.... An evening with Roger Hodgson is time well spent..... Go, travel.....see Roger live. It will be an adventure that is life changing........
  • Ana from SpainThanks for this amazing interview!!
    It's always a pleasure to know about Roger Hodgson. I'm a huge fan of him since Supertramp times. I've always loved his voice and songs, his way to write, expressing so many feelings and thoughts I also have!
    It's obvious who was the soul in Supertramp, all the songs we love were written by Roger, if you ask for Supertramp songs, always Roger's ones are the first that came out.
    Roger is one of the best musicians and songwriters nowadays.
    His songs are part of the lives of many people around the world. The soundtrack of many of us!!
    Good songs don't need much decoration, when you have good songs all you have to do is play them and empty yourself, leave the heart in each one, and that's what Roger does, and that's why his shows are so special, so, we are very fortunate to can enjoy his shows, his unique voice and charisma. The communication between artist and audience is special. He performs with great success, solo shows, with orchestras or with his fantastic band, bringing the spirit of Supertramp all around the world.
    What a wonderful experience is to attend a Roger's show. When you see him once, you can't stop, and need to see him once and another. It doesn't matter how far you have to travel, you are sure you'll enjoy. A show by Roger is a big party, a big celebration of love,peace and happiness. All together clapping, singing, dancing, and sometimes, also weeping...It's a thrill, a blast, chills and goosebumps, all at the same time... So, nobody should miss a concert of Roger. It's really worth!!!
    I can't wait to attend some of his shows this year and have a "Breakfast In Europe"
    Roger Hodgson, the best show ever!!!!
    Cheers from Spain!
    Ana
  • Jim Amey from Youngstown, OhioWhen a great interview! I've been blessed to meet Roger Hodgson and spend snippets of time with him over the past 2 years. He is a genuine kind heart & soul. He gives much more than 'a little bit' with his music and his message. I've been a Supertramp addict for the better part of 35 years, where I listened almost exclusively to this band - almost every day. Roger Hodgson's songs - by the lyrics and message kept me going at the worst times in my life, re-energizing me and giving me the will to keep going no matter how tough life was. His music was my best friend when I had no other. I go to every Roger Hodgson concert that I possibly can. I've seen 24 concerts of his in the past two years and we have at least 6 more on the books, including Ohio, New York, Atlantic City, Canada, and Paris France. His songs are going to open up your heart and reach deep down inside you. I personally feel exhausted after his concerts because of the emotional rollercoaster ride that he takes me through each time. All the emotions are felt - it comes from the incredible lyrics, the beautiful & amazing voice like no other, and the musical arrangement of the numerous instruments and sounds withion each song. No one compares.
  • Rowanda from CaliforniaI did not know that it was this man who wrote all these songs. WOW. These songs create the fabric of my life and it tickles me that my kids know and love them too. I just checked out his website tour page and it looks like I'll be taking my family to Humphrys, in San Diego, on September 18! From now on when I think of The Logical Song or Dreamer or Give a Little Bit, I'll be thinking of Roger Hodgson, the musical genius behind the songs. Thanks for this informative interview. By the way, my kids listen to Cupids Chokhold, but they like the original Breakfast in America better. It just proves that a good song is a good song. I notice the article doesn't have his facebook page listed, so here it is. http://www.facebook.com/rogerhodgsonofficial
  • American Girl from DallasThank you for the fantastic interview with Roger Hodgson. All these years I thought I was a Supertramp fan when I actually was and am a Roger Hodgson fan. I saw both of Roger's sold out shows in Temecula, CA in February during the kickoff weekend of his Breakfast in America World Tour. Stunning is all I can say. I have seen all of the big name acts over the years, all of the legends, and I thought I had seen the best of the best. After ten minutes at Roger's show, he proved me wrong. I was hooked. THIS is the best artist I have ever seen live. I have never been to a show where the live performance sounds even better than the CD's. That voice of Roger's sounds even better today than on my Supertramp vinyls. His connection with his audience is unsurpassed....smiles all around and couples dancing in the aisles. I can't wait to see him again and am so grateful that he's touring the US. See Roger Hodgson, the original singer/songwriter who gave us all the classics we have loved for years - Breakfast in America, Give a Little Bit, The Logical Song, Dreamer, Take the Long Way Home, School, Fool's Overture, It's Raining Again, Hide in Your Shell, and so many more. See his videos and you will have to pull yourself away - http://www.youtube.com/MrRogerHodgson. Check out Roger's tour dates and do what you have to do to get to one of his shows. I promise, once you see him, you will agree that once is not enough. You'll be hooked too. Tour info is at http://www.RogerHodgson.com or http://www.facebook.com/RogerHodgsonOfficial.
  • Laura from Boston, MaGreat interview with one of the world's greatest song writers. He's written some of my all time favorite: Give a Little Bit, Even in the Quietest Moments, The Logical Song, Breakfast in America. I'm so happy he's finally touring in the US and I got to see him in Milwaukee in March. He touches my heart and soul. I plan to go see him in August at Hampton Beach NH and also Twin River Casino in Lincoln, RI - and any other time/place he's near Boston. I would not miss a Roger Hodgson concert for the world!
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