Kinks leader named a BMI icon

Kinks leader Ray Davies has been named a BMI Icon. The honor will be given to Davies by the performing rights organization BMI at the group's annual London Awards ceremony, which is set for October 3rd at the Dorchester Hotel. Icon status is given to people who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Steve Winwood and Van Morrison have previously been named Icons at the London event.

Davies is often thought of as a master songwriter, but he said that designation might not be accurate: "There are no rules to songwriting, and I'd like to think it gets easier because I know more, but the more one does, the more you realize how limitless it is, you know? There's so many different ways of writing things. There are no hard-and-fast rules, and it doesn't get any easier. It does get a little trickier the more you know. You think you know what you're doing -- actually, you don't know what you're doing."

BMI is an American group, but they hold a ceremony in London every year to honor the European songwriters and publishers who've had the most success on U.S. radio and TV in the past year.

Davies will perform in Western Europe in October and November.
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