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Biography: Roger Hodgson
Roger Hodgson is the legendary singer-song writer and signature voice of Supertramp’s most treasured anthems such as “Give a Little Bit”, “The Logical Song”, "Take the Long Way Home”, and “Breakfast In America”. All penned by Roger, these classics earned Supertramp worldwide distinction and notoriety among rock bands in the 70’s and 80’s. An accomplished, self-taught musician, Roger began singing, writing and playing the guitar at the age of 12. He is a multi-talented musician: playing piano, guitar, organ, drums and cello as well. His trademark way of setting beautifully introspective lyrics to upbeat melodies has placed him among the most gifted songwriters and lyricists of the day. In 1969, shortly after he left school, Roger met Rick Davies and together they co-founded Supertramp The band slowly began its rise in 1974 to European recognition with the release of their breakthrough album, “Crime of the Century”. The album rocketed to the top of the UK charts on the strength of Roger’s hit song “Dreamer” and the rise to worldwide success for Supertramp began. In 1979, the wildly successful “Breakfast in America” album, with 3 of its 4 top ten hits written and sung by Roger, reached number one in every country and stayed on the top of the charts for a full year becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all time - Supertramp was fast becoming a global phenomenon. By 1983, after touring with Supertramp on the “Famous Last Words Tour” – one of the first of the rock mega tours – Roger decided to leave the band to raise his two young children and live a quiet, simple life at home in Northern California. He continued to write and perform as a solo artist during this time and built his own state of the art recording studio at home so he could work and still be close to his kids while they were growing up. Roger’s debut solo album, “In the Eye of the Storm”, released in 1984, quickly became an international hit, selling over 2 million copies. During the years that followed, he released 2 other solo albums “Hai, Hai” and “Open the Door”. This time in Roger’s life was a period of introspection and spiritual exploration, as well as writing music. His desire to touch the hearts of others with his songs continued to be the inspiration behind his music. Through the nineties Roger did little touring, though he did join Andrea Bocelli, Brian Ferry, Al Jarreau and others for a mix of contemporary and classical music in Europe’s annual “Night of the Proms” tour . He also collaborated with the band “Yes” on the album “Talk” and released an album called “Rites of Passage” in 1996 together with his son, Andrew. Roger is currently enjoying doing his live performances, both solo and with orchestra. He is appearing at festivals and select venues around the globe, as well as doing private and corporate shows. Experiencing Roger Hodgson live and feeling the audience moved to tears as he sings his soulful songs reveals why fans have remained so loyal to him and his music for over 30 years. Along with touring, Roger is personally supporting charities and non-profit organizations that touch his heart and serve humanity. He has donated his classic hit “Give a Little Bit” to help raise funds for Tsunami Relief and other charities and continues to find ways to do his part to make a difference in the world.Contributed by: www.rogerhodgson.com
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