Pete Quaife

Pete Quaife
Background information
Birth namePeter Alexander Greenlaw Kinnes
Born(1943-12-31)31 December 1943
Tavistock, Devon, England
Died23 June 2010(2010-06-23) (aged 66)
Copenhagen, Denmark
GenresRock, pop
OccupationMusician
InstrumentBass guitar
Years active1962–1971, 1981, 1990
Formerly ofThe Kinks

Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife (born Kinnes; 31 December 1943 – 23 June 2010) was an English musician, artist and author. He was a founding member and the original bassist for the Kinks, from 1963 until 1969. He also sang backing vocals on some of their records.[1]

Quaife founded a group known as the Ravens in 1963 with brothers Ray and Dave Davies. In late 1963 or early 1964, they changed their name to the Kinks. The group scored several major international hits throughout the 1960s. Their early singles, including "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night", have been cited as an early influence on the hard rock and heavy metal genres.[2] In the band's early days, Quaife, who was generally regarded as the best-looking member, was often their spokesman.[3] He departed from the Kinks in 1969 and formed the band Mapleoak, which he left in April 1970.

After retiring from the music business, Quaife resided in Denmark throughout the 1970s. He relocated to Belleville, Ontario, in 1980, where he worked as a cartoonist and artist. He was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1998 and moved back to Denmark in 2005. Quaife died on 23 June 2010 of kidney failure.[4]

  1. ^ "Pete Quaife interview". Kindakinks.net. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Denise. "You Really Got Me". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  3. ^ The Times obituary, 26 June 2010
  4. ^ Laing, Dave (25 June 2010). "Pete Quaife obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2010.