Ray Davies was born on June 21, 1944 in Fortis Green, which is located in Muswell Hill, north of London, England. He was the seventh of eighth children, and with his younger brother Dave, he was one of the only two boys in his family. In 1963, he joined Dave's band The Ravens on rhythm guitar and vocals. He later rose to the position of chief songwriter and singer. Between 1964 and 1965, The Kinks released other hits such as "All Day and All of the Night", "Til the End of the Day", "Tired of Waiting for You", and others. Unfortunately, like most brothers, Ray and Dave Davies often were prone to sibling rivalry, and could act violent towards each other and the rest of the band. This behavior may have contributed to the American Musicians Union issuing a four-year touring ban against them. Since this would prevent them from enjoying the prosperity of the British Invasion that their contemporaries enjoyed, Ray decided to seek a new direction in songwriting. His songs would reflect on his childhood and the days of the British empire, when the class system was going strong, and poverty was great. This style was evident on The Kinks' next four albums, Face To Face (1966), Something Else by The Kinks (1967), The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), and Arthur, or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969). In 1970, they released perhaps their most famous LP, Lola Vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part 1. This record spawned their trademark "Lola", along with other great songs such as "Apeman", "Get Back in Line", "Powerman", and others. Muswell Hillbillies followed the next year, which was perhaps their last commercially successful album. From the 1970s in the early 1990s, the Kinks' career proved to be a roller coaster of commercial success, and failure. Perhaps part of the reason for this was the bitter rivalry between Dave and Ray Davies which could never be fully resolved. The band went through a revolving door of backing musicians, and in the mid-1990s, the Kinks split up. Today Ray Davies performs solo. He has four solo albums to date and is also involved in theater and television. In early 2004, he gallantly chased after a thief who stole his girlfriend's purse, and was shot in the leg. A week before that, he was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth for his services to music. He has since recovered and continues to perform. His influence has been significant. He has gained a considerable following in his own native Britain, and Pete Townshend from The Who has credited him as his favorite songwriter.
