Ray Davies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Ray Davies CBE
Davies performing in 1977
Background information
Birth name	Raymond Douglas Davies
Also known as	Raymond Douglas, Godfather of Britpop
Born	(1944-06-21) 21 June 1944 (age 81) London, England
Genres	Rock pop
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica keyboards
Years active	1960–present

Sir Raymond Douglas Davies (born 21 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and main songwriter for the famous rock band The Kinks. He led the band with his younger brother, Dave Davies, who played lead guitar.

Ray Davies is known for writing songs about English culture, memories, and social satire. He is sometimes called the "Godfather of Britpop", though he doesn't agree with this title. In 1990, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Kinks. After The Kinks stopped playing together in 1996, he started his own solo music career.

Ray Davies' Early Life

6 Denmark Terrace, where the Davies brothers were born

Raymond Douglas Davies was born in London, England, on 21 June 1944. He was the seventh of eight children in his family. He had six older sisters and a younger brother, Dave Davies. His father, Frederick George Davies, worked in a slaughterhouse. His mother was Annie Florence Willmore.

Ray went to William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School in Muswell Hill. His oldest sister, Rene, gave him his first Spanish guitar for his birthday. Sadly, she passed away from a heart attack when he was almost 13 years old.

The Kinks: 1960s to 1980s

Forming The Kinks

In 1962, Ray Davies was an art student in London and became very interested in music. He started playing with different bands. By 1963, he joined a band that would later become The Kinks.

In early 1964, The Kinks got a record deal. Ray Davies quickly became the band's main songwriter and leader. Their song "You Really Got Me" was a huge hit in August 1964, making the band famous. From 1966 to 1975, Ray led The Kinks through a time of musical experiments and great success.

The Kinks' Changing Sound

The Kinks' early songs in 1964 were loud and powerful, like "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night". These songs used strong power chords and influenced hard rock and punk.

By 1965, their style became softer and more thoughtful. Songs like "Tired of Waiting for You" showed this change. With "See My Friends", The Kinks started exploring new sounds. This song was one of the first Western pop songs to use Indian raga sounds.

Songs About English Life

Ray Davies with brother Dave performing with The Kinks (Dutch TV, 1967)

Starting in 1965, Ray Davies's songs began to tell stories about everyday people. He wrote about the lives of working-class people and the effects of the British class system. Their 1966 album, Face to Face, was a big step forward. Ray's songs became known for their storytelling, observations, and clever social comments. He wrote about rich people, wasteful spenders, and even the music business itself.

Songs like "Dead End Street" (1966) showed the tough lives of people in poverty. Other songs, such as "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" (1966), made fun of consumerism and celebrity worship in 'Swinging London'.

The Kinks were known for being very British. Ray Davies loved to write about England's past and its traditional culture. He wrote cheerful songs about village greens, pubs, and old English ways of life. Examples include "Village Green" (1966), "Autumn Almanac" (1967), and "Victoria" (1969). He also used styles from British music hall and trad jazz in songs like "Sunny Afternoon" and "Dandy".

Ray Davies often wrote about finding happiness in simple things, like love and family. Songs like "This is Where I Belong" (1966) and "Days" (1968) show this. He also celebrated unique people and lifestyles in songs like "Lola" (1970) and "Celluloid Heroes" (1972). His 1967 song "Waterloo Sunset" is a famous example of finding peace in a busy city.

Ray's songs also showed a concern for social issues. For example, "Holiday in Waikiki" (1966) criticized the commercialization of native cultures. Songs like "Apeman" (1970) spoke against industrialization and for a simpler, natural life. The Kinks' 1968 album, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, lovingly looked back at old English village life.

One of Ray Davies's most important works is the 1969 album Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). This was a rock opera that told the story of a working-class family in England through different historical periods. It was partly inspired by his brother-in-law, Arthur Anning, who moved to Australia.

Later Kinks Sound (1976–1984)

When The Kinks changed record labels in 1976, Ray Davies started writing more direct songs. The band also built their own recording studio, "Konk," which helped them create a more polished sound. Songs from this time include "Life on the Road" and "Misfits".

In the early 1980s, The Kinks became very popular again by playing a more mainstream arena rock style. Their albums like Low Budget (1979) and Come Dancing (1982) were big hits. "Come Dancing" was a sentimental song about hope and memories.

Ray Davies: 1990s to Today

Besides his work with The Kinks, Ray Davies has released several solo albums. These include Return to Waterloo (1985), Other People's Lives (2006), and Americana (2017).

In 1990, Ray Davies and The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2005, they were also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame.

Ray Davies has also written books. His "unauthorised autobiography," X-Ray, came out in 1994. He also published a book of short stories called Waterloo Sunset in 1997. He has directed a few films, including Return to Waterloo and Americana.

In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to music. In 2017, he was made a Knight for his services to the arts.

In 2009, he released The Kinks Choral Collection, an album he worked on with the Crouch End Festival Chorus. In 2010, he released See My Friends, which featured collaborations with other artists.

Ray Davies performed "Waterloo Sunset" at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. This performance was watched by millions of people.

In 2015, Ray Davies performed with his brother Dave for the first time in almost 20 years. They played "You Really Got Me" together.

Musicals by Ray Davies

Ray Davies has also written songs for stage musicals.

• In 1981, he worked on his first musical, Chorus Girls.
• He wrote songs for 80 Days, a musical based on Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. This show won the "Best Musical" award from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle.
• His musical Come Dancing, based on his 1983 hit song, ran in London in 2008.
• Sunny Afternoon, a musical about Ray Davies's early life and featuring Kinks songs, opened in London in 2014. It won four awards at the 2015 Olivier Awards, including one for Ray Davies.

Awards and Recognition

Ray Davies has received many awards for his music and songwriting:

• 1990: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Kinks.
• 1999: "You Really Got Me" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
• 2004: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
• 2004: Won the Mojo Songwriter Award.
• 2005: The Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame.
• 2006: Awarded the BMI Icon Award.
• 2010: Received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards.
• 2010: Received the Lifetime Achievement Award at his AVO Session concert in Basel.
• 2014: Inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• 2015: Won an Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Achievement for Sunny Afternoon.
• 2015: Voted 27th greatest songwriter of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
• 2016: Awarded a BASCA Gold Badge award for his unique contribution to music.
• 2017: Knighted for services to the arts.

Ray Davies' Family Life

Ray Davies has been married three times and has four daughters. He had two daughters, Louisa and Victoria, with his first wife, Rasa Didzpetris. He later had a daughter named Natalie Rae Hynde with Chrissie Hynde. He also has a daughter named Eva with his third wife, Patricia Crosbie.

In 2011, Ray Davies had a health issue that required him to rest at home for several months.

Ray Davies' Solo Albums

Studio Albums

• Return to Waterloo (1985)
• The Storyteller (1998)
• Other People's Lives (2006)
• Working Man's Café (2007)
• Americana (2017)
• Our Country: Americana Act II (2018)

Collaborative Albums

• The Kinks Choral Collection (2009) (with the Crouch End Festival Chorus)
• See My Friends (2010)

Compilation Albums

• Collected (2009)
• Waterloo Sunset — The Very Best of The Kinks and Ray Davies (2012)

Songs Written by Ray Davies for Other Artists

Ray Davies wrote many songs that became hits for other musicians. Here are some examples:

Images for kids

• 

  Ray Davies performing in Toronto, 1977

• 

  Davies at Bluesfest 2008 in Ottawa

• 

  Davies on his "Other People's Lives" tour in Vancouver, BC 2006

See also

In Spanish: Ray Davies para niños