Roger Hodgson Enjoying Playing Supertramp Music for "a Whole New Generation"

Photo: Rob ShanahanIt's been almost 30 years since Roger Hodgson parted ways with Supertramp, and this year, the singer/songwriter has been reminding music fans that he's the man behind many of the prog-rock group's most memorable tunes as he tours across America. 

Prior to 2012, Hodgson hadn't mounted a full U.S. trek since the 1990s.  The accomplished musician tells ABC News Radio that although the United States has been his home for about half his life, he's shied away from touring in the country partly because he felt he suffered from a lack of name recognition here.

To remedy the situation, the singer decided to name his current trek the Breakfast in America tour, after Supertramp's massively successful 1979 album.

"In calling this tour the Breakfast in America tour," he explained, "it helped to connect the dots" for people."

Hodgson says he's getting great enjoyment from seeing fans' positive reactions to watching him perform the many classic tunes he's composed.

"It's amazing to be singing these songs 30 years later -- like 'Give a Little Bit' and 'The Logical Song' and 'Take the Long Way Home,'" he declares.  "They have an evergreen quality [and] I never get tired of singing them.  I guess the day I do, I'll stop.  But, I'm just loving it, [and] the audiences are loving hearing these songs."

The singer also points out that it's not just old Supertramp fans who coming out to see his show.

"I'm looking out and seeing a whole lot of young people who are discovering the music," he says.  "So there's a whole new generation, which makes me very happy."

As for the set list Hodgson features at his shows, he explains that although he has quite a bit of new material he could roll out, he generally chooses to stick to tunes familiar to fans.

"I really want to give people the richest experience during the show," he maintains.  "So, I don't mind playing most of the songs they want to hear, and then I'll throw in maybe one or two new ones and [something from] my solo albums that they maybe they haven't heard either."

While Hodgson has dozens of new songs in the works, he says he doesn't feel it's time to put together a new studio effort.  His latest release is a CD titled Classics Live, which features recent concert performances of many of the well-known tunes he originally wrote and sung with Supertramp.

"So many people were telling me that I'm singing much better today than I did with Supertramp, and they wanted to hear new versions of the songs," he says regarding what motivated him to compile Classics Live.  Also, the band I'm with is just unbelievable.  The musicianship is just so high, and the songs are sounding even better than the [versions] we recorded…30 years ago."

Fans can pick up a copy of Classics Live at Hodgson's concerts and via RogerHodgson.com.  The singer has more than a dozen upcoming 2012 dates remaining on his ongoing Breakfast in America trek, and he also is planning to add a bunch more North American gigs after the New Year. 

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio