Ray Davies
| Sir Ray Davies CBE |
|
|---|---|
Davies performing in Toronto, 1977
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Raymond Douglas Davies |
| Born |
21 June 1944 Fortis Green, London, England |
| Genres | Rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, piano |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Associated acts | The Kinks |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Telecaster | |
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies, CBE (/ˈdeɪvɪs/ DAY-viz; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the rhythm guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for The Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theatre and television.
At the dissolution of the Kinks in 1996, Ray Davies embarked on a solo career as a singer-songwriter.
Davies was born at 6 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green, in Muswell Hill, North London, England. He is the seventh of eight children born to Fred and Annie Davies, including six older sisters and younger brother Dave Davies. His father is of Welsh ancestry. He went to William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (now called Fortismere School).
Davies was an art student at Hornsey College of Art in London in 1962–1963. In late 1962 he became increasingly interested in music; at a Hornsey College Christmas dance he sought advice from Alexis Korner who was playing at the dance with Blues Incorporated and Korner introduced him to Giorgio Gomelsky, a promoter and future manager of the Yardbirds. Gomelsky arranged for Davies to play at his Piccadilly Club with the Dave Hunt Rhythm & Blues Band, and on New Year's Eve the Ray Davies Quartet opened for Cyril Stapleton at the Lyceum Ballroom. A few days later he became the permanent guitarist for the Dave Hunt Band, an engagement that would only last about six weeks. The band were the house band at Gomelsky's new venture, the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond-upon-Thames; when the Dave Hunt band were snowed in during the coldest winter since 1740, Gomelsky offered a gig to a new band called the Rolling Stones, who had previously supported Hunt at the Piccadilly and would take over the residency. Davies then joined the Hamilton King Band until June 1963; the Kinks (then known as the Ramrods) spent the summer supporting Rick Wayne on a tour of US airbases.
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