Clive Davis, the five-time Grammy winner and one of music’s most influential executives of all time, has died at the age of 94.
His representative Aliza Rabinoff confirmed that Davis had “passed away peacefully from age-related illness … surrounded by his family and loved ones" at his New York City home earlier today (June 22).
Last month, he was hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection, but released one week later.
Known as the “man with the golden ears,” Davis discovered and signed a number of genre-defining artists throughout his career, including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, The Notorious B.I.G., OutKast, P!nk, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Usher, Janis Joplin, Santana, Earth, Wind & Fire, TLC, The Grateful Dead, and Christina Aguilera, among many others.
Born on April 4, 1932, Clive Jay Davis grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He earned degrees from both New York University and Harvard Law School, both of which he attended on a full scholarship.
Davis first got his start in the music industry as a lawyer, serving as assistant counsel of then CBS subsidiary Columbia Records in 1960. Five years later he was appointed as administrative vice president and general manager in 1965.
From there, he held many positions of influence at multiple record labels in his 66-year career, including president of Columbia Records (1967-1973), chairman, CEO of the RCA Music Group (2002-2008), COO of Sony Music Entertainment, and chair and CEO of BMG North America.
In addition, he founded Arista Records in 1974, serving as the label’s president until 2000, when he launched J Records. He also co-founded LaFace Records in 1989 with L.A. Reid and Babyface, as well as Bad Boy Records with Sean “Puffy” Combs in 1993.
On Instagram, Davis’ family paid tribute to him, writing, “our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations.”