• Biography

Early Life

Ray Davies was born on June 21, 1944 in Muswell Hill, London, England. He is the eldest of eight children born to Fred and Annie Davies. His father was a professional musician and his mother was a housewife. Ray was exposed to music from a young age, as his father was a jazz musician and his mother was a fan of classical music. He attended William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School, where he developed an interest in music and art.

Musical Career

In 1964, Ray Davies formed the band The Kinks with his brother Dave Davies. The band quickly gained popularity and released their debut album, Kinks, in 1964. The album featured the hit single “You Really Got Me”, which became a worldwide hit. The band went on to release several more successful albums, including Something Else by The Kinks (1967), The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), and Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround (1970).

In the 1970s, Ray Davies began to focus more on his solo career. He released his debut solo album, The Village Green Preservation Society, in 1972. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it featured the hit single “Celluloid Heroes”. He followed this up with the albums Preservation Act 1 (1973) and Preservation Act 2 (1974).

In the 1980s, Ray Davies released several more solo albums, including Give the People What They Want (1981), Word of Mouth (1984), and Think Visual (1986). He also released the album Return to Waterloo (1985), which was a soundtrack to the film of the same name.

Later Career

In the 1990s, Ray Davies continued to release solo albums, including To the Bone (1996) and Storyteller (1998). He also released the album Other People’s Lives (2006), which featured the hit single “You Really Got Me”.

In recent years, Ray Davies has continued to tour and perform live. He has also released several more albums, including Working Man’s Café (2007), See My Friends (2010), and Americana (2017).

Legacy

Ray Davies is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded several prestigious awards, including the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music (2005) and the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2004.

Date modified: Apr 8, 2023
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