Influential Record Producer and Music Executive Clive Davis Passes Away at 94
Davis worked with artists like Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Janis Joplin, Billy Joel, and many more.
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of longtime record producer and music executive Clive Davis. His family confirmed the news to The New York Times, sharing that he passed away on Monday, June 22. He was 94 years old.
Throughout his prestigious career, Davis was one of the most influential figures in the music industry, working with such icons as Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Janis Joplin, Billy Joel, and many more. He also had a great love of theater, frequently attending Broadway opening nights, including recent productions of Real Women Have Curves, Sunset Boulevard, A Beautiful Noise and more. Among his soundtrack and cast album credits under his leadership were the original cast albums for Chicago and Mame, the soundtrack to the Barbra Streisand-led Funny Lady, Monty Python and more.
He earned four Grammys in his role as Album Producer, received the Grammy Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and, in 2010, The Recording Academy named the Grammy Museum theatre in his honor.
Born in Brooklyn, Davis graduated from New York University and Harvard Law School. He first worked at Columbia Records, where he was named President in 1967. In 1974, Davis founded Arista Records and expanded the company to include Arista Nashville in 1988. He continued his exploration of different musical genres with the formation of LaFace Records in 1989 and Bad Boy Records in 1994. In 2000, Mr. Davis formed J Records and in 2008, he was appointed Chief Creative Officer for Sony Music Entertainment.
Davis greatly impacted the worlds of Pop, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country and Hip-Hop, and played a key role in the careers of countless artists across those genres including Janis Joplin, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Santana, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire, Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & The Family Stone, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Patti Smith, Sarah McLachlan, Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Toni Braxton, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Notorious B.I.G., Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Luther Vandross, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson and he launched the first six American Idol award winners to multi-platinum success.
His autobiography, The Soundtrack Of My Life, was published in 2013. The Ridley Scott firm produced, and Chris Perkel directed the award-winning and documentary film on his life: Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives. In 2019, Davis produced the Memorial Concert for Aretha Franklin on CBS and executive-produced with Brian Grazer the eight-part limited TV series GENIUS: ARETHA, which aired on National Geographic Channel in March 2021.
In August 2021, Davis also co-executive-produced the historic “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” with the City of New York and Live Nation. In March 2022, Paramount+ debuted Clive Davis: MOST ICONIC PERFORMANCES, a 4-episode concert music series in which Davis takes viewers through some of his favorite musical performances from the last few decades and includes interview excerpts from his acclaimed 2021 Pre-Grammy Gala virtual events.
Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas
