It's the same voice behind the hits "The Logical Song" and "Take the Long Way Home." That voice belongs to Roger Hodgson, who sang lead for his old band Supertramp. It's been a blessing over the years to have a voice that is so recognizable, says the ex-Supertramp singer and songwriter.
Q: It's my theory that - ever since Bob Dylan - the most important attribute a singer can have is, to have a unique voice. What do you think is paramount for a rock or pop music singer?
A: There's truth in what you say but I also believe what is most distinctive about a voice is how it makes you feel. Some singers who have incredible voices don't move me at all and then others who don't have great vocal ability touch my heart deeply. I think it is where a singer is singing from and how connected he is with the song that he is singing that is important.
Q: After leaving Supertramp in the early 80s, you released two solo albums before putting your music career on hold to become a full-time parent in 1987. Can you talk about your thoughts at that time? Were you worried about stopping the momentum of your career?
A: Initially my intention was to try to do both. I built myself a home studio so I could continue making music while being at home with my kids. My first solo album, "In the Eye of The Storm," was an album that I felt I had to make. After leaving Supertramp, I needed to prove to myself what I was capable of without the band. And because I recorded it at home far from Los Angeles, up in the mountains of Northern California, I ended up playing most of the instruments myself. The album did well, even though I did not tour or promote it - with my priority being to stay at home and raise my kids and learn how to be a parent. With my second solo album, "Hai Hai," I was not clear of what I wanted. Having been away from music for a few years, I ended up using a lot of LA's finest session musicians, which was a wonderful experience. But the album lacked a focus and I feel I got a little lost on that album. Any chances of success for it were sabotaged by the accident and fall I had the week the album was released, where I severely broke both my wrists and the doctors told me I would never play again. That truly, as you say, put my career on hold and made me a full-time parent.
Q: How did it feel going from rock star to stay-at-home dad?
A: There were a lot of mixed feelings-it was both an emotional time and an exciting, yet scary time. I obviously had a lot of feelings because I had invested 14 years of my life in Supertramp since Rick and I founded the band in 1969 and a lot of my identity was tied up with the band. Yet, I knew it was time and I was making the right choice. I had two small children at that point and I knew I had to stop and learn how to be a parent and be there for them growing up. So I made the choice to make family first for the next phase of my life.
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