Clive Davis, Legendary Music Producer, Dead at 94

Clive Davis, Music Executive and Grammy-Winning Producer, Dead at 94

Hollywood is playing a somber tune.

Clive Davis—the music executive who helped catapult the likes of Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys and Bruce Springsteen to the upper echelons of fame—died on June 22 following a hospitalization for respiratory issues, his family confirmed. He was 94.

"To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives,” his family said in a statement shared with MS NOW. "He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations."

They continued, "To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love. No matter how extraordinary his professional accomplishments, he never lost sight of what mattered most: the people he loved.”

Born in Brooklyn in 1932, Davis never foresaw a life of music for himself—but in addition to the many artists who are grateful he ended up on that career path, so, too, was the late Grammy winner.

“I had no idea that I was ever getting into music,” he told The Guardian in 2014. “I did not prepare for a music career, and here I’ve found, out of pure luck, that I did have, not only a talent and an ear, but a passion for music. And I have it to this day.”

Even so, Davis’ journey to music was circuitous, beginning his career as a lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1956. It was  being hired by Columbia Records when he was 28 that would alter the course of his life and career.

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After a reorganization of the company eventually landed Davis in the role of president, his tenure saw Columbia embrace the age of rock ‘n roll after he went to the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 where he saw Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix perform.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was a cultural revolution, a social revolution and clearly a musical revolution,” he recalled to Rolling Stone in 2017. “I knew I was in the midst of something unique and profoundly deep.”

As he explained, “I prepared to unveil the music in mid-’68 with a campaign that said, ‘This is the new revolutionary sound that will be heard around the world.’”

Joplin, in particular, he remembered as “mesmerizing,” immediately signing her to the label.

And Davis, knowing rock wasn’t going anywhere, planned accordingly.

As he explained, “I prepared to unveil the music in mid-’68 with a campaign that said, ‘This is the new revolutionary sound that will be heard around the world.’”

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In addition to Joplin, Davis signed the likes of Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Earth, Wind and Fire and Aerosmith during his tenure at Columbia, effectively turning the company into one of the most successful rock labels in the world.

At the height of his career, however, Davis was falsely accused of billing Columbia for personal items such as a trip to Jamaica, a house in Beverly Hills and his son’s bar mitzvah. Though the 1973 investigation proved Davis innocent, CBS fired him before the process had been complete.

“The idea that there was wrongdoing is unfair,” Davis told Rolling Stone in 2008. “I never did charge my son’s bar mitzvah – it was phony, the guy went to jail, and I was exculpated!”

After his firing, Davis became president of the music division of Columbia Pictures, where he was given a 20 percent stake in the company and changed its name to Arista. There, he signed and worked with musical acts such as The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Patti Smith and Annie Lennox.

“I do get great pleasure in finding those great talents and showing how long a career can last,” he told Harvard Law Today in 2014. “It doesn’t have to be ephemeral in any way.”

And while Davis—who shared four kids with ex-wives Helen Cohen and Janet Adelberg—had become known for changing the American music landscape for decades, when he was 80 years old, he shared a new piece of himself with the world: He came out as bisexual in his 2013 autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life.

As for why Davis decided to come out after decades in the spotlight, he was quick to downplay it was any sort of brave act.

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“I don’t feel it’s a matter of pride, it’s a matter of people learning more about life and not having stereotypical, rigid ideas,” he told The Guardian in his 2014 interview. “I certainly knew the subject was misunderstood, that whether you were straight or gay, if you found somebody who was truly bisexual that you’d stereotype them. If it helps reduce the misunderstanding and the stereotypical attitudes about it, then great.”

He added, “But I don’t view it as an achievement. It is what it is.”

As for the many legendary artists he worked with over the years—which also included Barry Manilow and Aretha Franklin—Davis was eternally proud of the deep connections he built.

“I’m privileged that my relationship with artists goes over many years,” he told The Guardian. “When I founded Arista in 1975, I established relationships with writers and publishers and so began this odyssey.”

And even then, the allure of finding the perfect song for an artist never lost its appeal.

“It’s pure creativity, going through hundreds of songs and meeting with the artist as you distil them,” he said. “It works beautifully.”

(E! and MS NOW are both part of Versant Media.)

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