Russ Davies
David Russell Gordon Davies ( DAY-veez; born 3 February 1947) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the English rock band the Kinks, led by his elder brother (and principal writer and singer) Ray, and the two of them were the only consistent members during the band's existence. Davies also sometimes undertook writing and/or lead vocals duties within the band, for example on the songs "Death of a Clown", "Party Line", "Strangers" and "Rats". He has also embarked on a solo career, releasing several singles during the late 1960s and has since released eight solo albums.
Davies is known for innovative electric guitar technique, specifically in being one of the first to use electric guitar distortion and exposing the effect to the mainstream. His signature distorted power chord riffs on songs would heavily influence future heavy metal and punk rock acts. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 as a member of the Kinks and, in 2003, was ranked 91st in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
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