“We’d fly into town, we’d place the road crew in the limos and we’d go in hire cars… we were in it for the music, not the personalities”: John Anthony Helliwell recalls Supertramp’s glory days

John Anthony Helliwell.

In 2015 Supertramp announced a European tour which was soon cancelled as a result of band leader Rick Davies’ health issues. It meant the group’s final show (to date) had been November 2012 – but due to a previous engagement saxophonist, keyboardist and backing singer John Anthony Helliwell hadn’t been there.

In 2012, with no idea what was ahead, Helliwell told Prog about Supertramp’s history and the eternal question of whether Davies and former lead singer Roger Hodgson could overcome their personal differences for a reunion.