AOTM: Roger Hodgson Plays for Royalty

The late seventies and early eighties were the golden years of Supertramp’s reign. Four studio albums, numerous charting hits, and subsequent tours, Supertramp was on top of the world. The songwriting duo of Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies could do no wrong and helped Supertramp get to the top of the charts. After all of the mega-stadium tours, Roger Hodgson wanted a simpler life. He moved on to a solo music career that allowed him to be home with his family. After multiple solo albums, Hodgson was invited by Prince William and Harry to perform at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium.

The Concert for Diana took place at the newly opened Wembley Stadium in July of 2007 and was the first event at the venue. The event recognized the tenth anniversary of her death and also celebrated her life with all proceeds from the concert going to various charities she supported (bbc.com). A five hour concert, its performances were from Diana’s favorite recording artists including Roger Hodgson of Supertramp. Princess Diana loved the songs “Dreamer”, “Breakfast in America”, “It’s Raining Again”, and “Give a Little Bit”; all significant Hodgson-composed Supertramp songs (rogerhodgson.com).The highlight of the night came when Roger Hodgson was performing and the entire stadium stood on its feet. Both Princes and 65,000 concert attendees stood up to sing along in her honor. This not only signified the impact of Hodgson’s music and performance, but ultimately showed the impact Princess Diana had on the world.

Roger Hodgson’s journey began as part of the songwriting duo for Supertramp, however, he ended up moving on to a life that not only impacted an international fan base, but also influenced royalty. Hodgson helped Princes Harry and William celebrate Princess Diana’s life at Wembley Stadium in 2007 to a crowd of 65,000. This performance also helped raise money for the charities she loved and forever secured the impact of both Hodgson’s music and Diana’s life.