Arise, Sir Ray Davies. The veteran Kinks frontman, who formed the legendary British rock band with his brother Dave in the early 1960s, has been knighted in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Davies made the Queen’s 2017 New Year Honours list and on Thursday (March 16) received his knighthood for services to the arts, with the Prince of Wales doing the honors.
The 72-year-old rocker and songsmith made light of his special moment and shared a picture for posterity. “It lasted three minutes and it went very well,” he told the Daily Mail. “And I said goodbye and went home.”
Through a career spanning more than 50 years, Davies has accumulated a wealth of songwriting credits to his name, including Kinks classics “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night,” “Waterloo Sunset,” “Sunny Afternoon” and “Lola.” His works have been covered by the likes of David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, Jackson Browne and Van Halen.
Davies’ knighthood is the latest in a long list of achievements which also include induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (in 1990 with the Kinks), the Ivor Novello award for outstanding contribution to British music and the prestigious BMI Icon award. Davies was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by the Queen back in 2004.
Last December, Ray and Dave Davies performed on stage together for the first time in 20 years, sparking rumors that the Kinks might reunite. Never say never. In an interview with Billboard in 2015, Ray didn’t dismiss the idea. “It really depends,” he said on talk of a reunion. “This is always my answer: If we make it relevant to new music. Not saying we need a new album, but it’s got to relate to new music.”
Davies is hard at work readying the April release of Americana, his first album in nearly a decade. The LP is scheduled to arrive April 21 via Legacy Recordings and is the first of two volumes due out this year.