Born February 3, 1947, Dave Davies is the lead guitarist and occasional lead singer of the Kinks, a band he formed with his older brother, Ray and school friend, Pete Quaife. He is an extremely influential guitarist, influencing (some saying he created) heavy metal and hard rock with the heavily-distorted riff on the Kinks' 1964 single, “You Really Got Me”. To achieve this sound, Davies famously slashed his guitar amp with a razor blade, created the distorted sound that would become so influential in the future. Since the Kinks' breakup in the mid-nineties, Davies has released solo material, something he already did while the Kinks were still together.