Michael Charles Avory (born 15 February 1944) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984, when he left amid creative friction with guitarist Dave Davies. He is the longest-serving member of the band, apart from the Davies brothers. He is also the most prolific member, again apart from the Davies brothers, who has played on twenty studio albums or nearly all of the band's creative output. Before the band (1962–63) Before he joined the Kinks, Avory was a member of the band Bobby Angelo & The Tuxedos who had a No. 30 hit with "Baby Sittin'" in August 1961. After leaving that group, he was asked twice to rehearse on drums at the Bricklayers Arms pub in London during late May/early June 1962 for a group of musicians who were later to become the Rolling Stones. It has been said that he also went on to play at their first show at The Marquee Club on 12 July 1962, yet Avory himself says "I think Tony Chapman did the gig at the Marquee. I didn't. I just rehearsed twice in the Bricklayers Arms in Soho." Mick Jagger himself has said he has no recollection of playing any gigs with Avory. The Kinks (1964–1984) Avory joined the Kinks in January 1964, after their previous drummer Micky Willet left the band. Avory was hired to replace him after their management saw an advertisement Avory had placed in the trade magazine Melody Maker. He attended a rehearsal at the Camden Head in Islington shortly before Christmas of 1963, then offered the job by manager Robert Wace just after New Year. Despite his ability, early Kinks recordings (including hits such as "You Really Got Me") commonly did not feature Avory on drums; producer Shel Talmy hired more seasoned session drummers (most notably Clem Cattini and Bobby Graham) for studio work well into 1965, but with Avory often providing supporting percussion and he drummed on certain tracks on the first and third albums and all but one song on the second album Kinda Kinks. The first single A-side Avory played on was "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy", and went on to play on all Kinks recordings from the 1966 album Face to Face until his departure in 1984. Avory was