Artists

Ray Davies—even a glowing term like “revered rock elder statesman” seems inadequate in summing up his place high atop rock music’s Mount Olympus.

First known as a British Invasion import with his wild, hit-making, highly influential and veddy English quartet, the Kinks, singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Davies is still uncannily hipper than hip to this day as a modfather hero of pop rock, garage rock and art rock. If anything, his stature has only continued to flourish; this well more than 40 years after the Kinks came brawling out of London in 1963 with a string of hits that varied from raucous rave-ups to charming pop gems to arty and astute social commentary.

The Kinks soldiered on in various lineups through some great work in the 1970s and an early-’80s resurgence, never comprising the group’s musical aims or sheer British-ness. Davies’ prodigious song output nearly always drew critical acclaim and every Kinks single and album was eagerly snapped up by the group’s devoted fans. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 in its first year of eligibility.

Post-Kinks, Davies launched a successful solo performance career in the mid-1990s (he’d already released solo albums in 1985 and 1998) and he has continued to release solo albums, most recently Other People’s Lives (2006) and Working Man’s Café (2007). He currently fronts a new five-piece band and continues writing, recording and touring.