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Musical artist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ray Davies was a Welsh trumpeter, session musician, and bandleader, active from the 1940s to 1970s.[1] Much of his work featured on the Boosey & Hawkes stock music library,[2] experiencing a surge in popularity during the 1990s lounge revival, and he also frequently conducted the BBC Radio Orchestra, as well as playing for the BBC Big Band.[3][4] He is the father of record producer Rhett Davies, and served as chairman of BASCA from 2004 to 2010.[5][6]
Ray Davies | |
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Born | Swansea, Wales | 7 October 1927
Died | 20 July 2017 89) | (aged
Occupations |
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Spouse | Diane Davies |
Children | incl. Rhett Davies |
Musical career | |
Also known as | Ray Kendall, Chico Rey |
Genres | |
Instruments | Trumpet, Flugelhorn |
Labels | Dansan Records, DJM Records, Fontana, Philips, Pye |
During his childhood, he played in local military bands,[7] after which he attended the Royal College of Music. After finishing his education, he began to play trumpet for a large number of orchestras, big bands, and theatres across London, including that of Frank Cordell.
In the 1960s, he took part in a session for Reader's Digest, which, wanting a British response to Herb Alpert, led to Davies forming his band. This group was known as Ray Davies and The Button-Down Brass (or The Button-Down Brass Featuring The Funky Trumpet of Ray Davies), and it released a series of popular easy-listening albums, as well as covers of television and film theme tunes.[8]
At the same time, he also entered the pop scene, playing trumpet on records such as It's Not Unusual, Downtown, and Shirley Bassey's version of Big Spender.[8] Known for his short temper, he became an accomplished songwriter, and he was consulted by many pop bands, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, on musical arrangements.[9]
He died at the age of 89, on 20 July 2017.[9]
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