“I thought that I could trust him.” With those heartbreaking words, Roger Hodgson explained the simple betrayal that shattered one of rock’s most magical partnerships forever. For 14 years, his soaring idealism and Rick Davies’ down-to-earth cynicism created the unique sound of Supertramp. When Hodgson left in 1983, they made a gentleman’s agreement with a handshake: Davies could keep the band’s name, but he wouldn’t perform Hodgson’s iconic songs. But as pressure mounted, the promise was broken, and hearing his anthems played by the band he’d left felt like a profound violation. It was a single act that ended any hope of a reunion, proving that some wounds, especially those between friends, can never truly heal, leaving a timeless catalog of music haunted by what was lost.
A Tale of Two Tramps: The Broken Promise That Split a Supergroup For millions, the music of Supertramp was the…