Ray Davies shot while chasing purse snatcher

Kinks' singer not seriously injured after trying to thwart robbery

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updated 3:00 p.m. ET Jan. 5, 2004

NEW ORLEANS - Singer-songwriter Ray Davies of the celebrated British rock band the Kinks was shot in the leg while chasing thieves who snatched a purse from a woman he was with, police said Monday. He was not seriously injured.

Police said Davies, 59, and the woman were walking near the edge of the French Quarter when the shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Davies was treated and released at a hospital, said Capt. Marlon Defillo, a police spokesman.

One suspect was captured within hours and another person was being sought. The woman was not hurt.

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Deke Arlon, Davies’ manager in London, said: “He should be up and about in a day or so. The message that came back to me was that he is in good spirits.” Neither he nor police would say who the woman was with Davies.

The shooting happened blocks away from Bourbon Street, which was awash with people in town for Sunday night’s Sugar Bowl, the Bowl Championship Series game between LSU and Oklahoma. Police were stationed on every corner of the area and were able to respond quickly to the shooting, Defillo said.

The Kinks, part of the 1960s British invasion, had a string of hits including “You Really Got Me,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “All Day and All of the Night” and “Lola.” Davies founded the band, known for its hard-edged, guitar-driven sound and witty lyrics, with his brother Dave.

Last week, Davies received royal honors in London. Along with singer-guitarist Eric Clapton, he was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire at a ceremony on New Year’s Eve.

Arlon said Davies was spending time in New Orleans as part of a seasonal break. The manager declined to name the hospital where the star was treated.

The shooting site is a largely residential area on the border of the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny area.