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Roger Hodgson Biography

roger-hodgson
  • Born: March 21, 1950 in Portsmouth, England
  • Years Active: 1960s-present
  • Member of: Argosy
  • Genre: Rock & Alternative

Best known for his stint fronting art pop hitmakers Supertramp, Roger Hodgson was born in Portsmouth, England, on March 21, 1950. He co-founded Supertramp in 1969, serving as their primary singer and songwriter for 13 years. Originally funded by Dutch millionaire Stanley August Mieseages, the group lost his patronages after their first two albums failed to generate much interest. However, 1974's Crime of the Century was a major hit, launching the radio favorites "Dreamer" and "Bloody Well Right." After scoring an international hit in 1977 with "Give a Little Bit" from the album Even in the Quietest Moments..., Supertramp reached their commercial peak with 1979's chart-topping Breakfast in America, which yielded the smashes "Take the Long Way Home," "The Logical Song," and "Goodbye, Stranger" on its way to selling close to 20 million copies. In the wake of 1982's ...Famous Last Words..., Hodgson left Supertramp to mount a solo career, issuing his debut effort, In the Eye of the Storm, in 1984. Within days of issuing the follow-up, 1987's Hai Hai, Hodgson fell and broke both of his wrists; the accident kept him out of action for several years, and he did not resurface until co-writing several songs on Yes' 1994 album Talk. A live solo album, Rites of Passage, followed three years later and featured Hodgson collaborating with son Andrew. Open the Door, his first new studio effort in 13 years, appeared in the spring of 2000. The album received positive responses from critics and fans alike, and Hodgson was subsequently recruited to tour with Ringo Starr as a member of the All-Starr Band. He continued to play solo shows as well, releasing a DVD of one such performance (Take The Long Way Home -- Live in Montreal) in summer 2006. The DVD would go platinum in Canada by that October. ~ Jason Ankeny & Andrew Leahey, Rovi

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