Dave Davies
The Kinks guitarist who slashed his amp to create rock's first great fuzz tone, defining the band's raw, rebellious early sound.
Born 1947 (age 79)·English guitarist·Birthday: February 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Davies provided the snarling, visceral counterpoint to his brother Ray's more observational songwriting. As the lead guitarist for The Kinks, his contribution was elemental: in 1964, frustrated with the weak sound of his little Elpico amp, he took a razor blade to its speaker cone, unleashing the distorted, growling riff of 'You Really Got Me.' That act of sonic vandalism effectively invented hard rock guitar. On stage, he was all swagger and cheek, a flamboyant foil in frilly shirts, his playing a mix of bluesy aggression and unexpected tenderness. While Ray steered the ship, Dave's own songwriting gems like 'Death of a Clown' revealed a poignant, folk-inflected side. His career has been a long navigation of sibling rivalry, spiritual quests, and recovery from a debilitating stroke, but his legacy is cemented in those first, furious chords—a raw, revolutionary noise that changed what a guitar could say.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the distorted electric guitar sound on The Kinks' 1964 hit 'You Really Got Me' by slashing his amplifier speaker.
- Wrote and sang lead on the UK No. 1 hit 'Death of a Clown', released under his own name in 1967.
- Released the solo album 'AFL1-3603' in 1980, a critically acclaimed work exploring progressive and spiritual themes.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Kinks in 1990.
- Authored several autobiographies, including 'Kink', which detailed his life in the band and his complex relationship with his brother.
Did You Know?
He is a practicing mystic and has written extensively about his experiences with astral projection and the occult.
He suffered a major stroke in 2013 but made a significant recovery, eventually returning to performing and recording.
He turned down an offer to join the psychedelic band The Pretty Things before fully committing to The Kinks.
His 1960s girlfriend, Sue Sheehan, is the subject of The Kinks' song 'Suzannah's Still Alive'.
“I didn't invent distortion, I just happened to utilize it on a record first.”
