Iva Davies
The visionary frontman of Icehouse who fused art-rock ambition with synth-pop hooks, defining a strand of Australian music in the 1980s.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Australian electronic musician and rock singer·Birthday: May 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Iva Davies began not as a rock star, but as a classically trained oboist studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. That technical discipline underpinned his entire career. In the late 1970s, he formed the band Flowers, which would soon be renamed Icehouse. Davies was the undisputed architect of their sound: a brooding, atmospheric blend of synthesizers, driven by his distinctive, plaintive baritone. The 1980 album 'Icehouse' became a landmark of Australian new wave, and its international success propelled them onto the world stage. Davies was a studio obsessive, a multi-instrumentalist who often played most of the parts on Icehouse records. His songwriting extended beyond the band, most notably composing the score for the iconic Australian film 'The Man from Snowy River.' Despite shifting musical trends, Davies maintained Icehouse as a potent live act, his voice and vision remaining the constant core of a sound that captured a specific, cinematic melancholy.
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.
Iva was born in 1955, 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 Iva Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Iva's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
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
1968Became a teenager
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!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Icehouse to international success with the self-titled debut album, a cornerstone of Australian new wave.
- Composed the acclaimed musical score for the hit Australian film 'The Man from Snowy River.'
- Wrote and recorded "Great Southern Land," a song that has become an unofficial Australian anthem.
- Was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Icehouse.
Did You Know?
He is a trained oboist and was a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra.
The band's name was changed from Flowers to Icehouse to avoid confusion with the Scottish band The Flowers.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2019 for his services to the performing arts.
“The oboe taught me precision; the synthesizer taught me space.”
