Born on this day in 1947, David Russell Gordon Davies (aka Dave Davies), the English singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist, backing (and occasional lead) singer for The Kinks, turns 78. Along with his older brother, Sir Ray Davies, Dave created some of the most beloved rock songs of the 20th Century. He was solely responsible for the signature distorted power chord sound on the Kinks' first hit, "You Really Got Me" by using a razor blade to slit the speaker cone on his Elpico amplifier, which he then ran through a larger Vox as a "pre-amp". This sound was one of the first mainstream appearances of guitar distortion, which was to have a major influence on many later musicians, especially in Heavy Metal and Punk.
In Dave's honor, check out an interview with Dave (above) and the video for "Lola", "You Really Got Me," and "Destroyer" below.
