{"id":6371,"date":"2026-06-22T15:42:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/music-mogul-clive-davis-dead-at-94\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:42:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:42:33","slug":"music-mogul-clive-davis-dead-at-94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/music-mogul-clive-davis-dead-at-94\/","title":{"rendered":"Music mogul Clive Davis dead at 94"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F05%2F129216764.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Music mogul Clive Davis, who oversaw the monumental careers of Whitney Houston, Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs, Kelly Clarkson and more, has died at the age of 94. <\/p>\n<p>Davis\u2019 family confirmed his death to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/22\/arts\/music\/clive-davis-dead.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the New York Times<\/a> on Monday. A cause of death was not revealed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Clive Davis, pictured here in 2024, has died.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The music mogul, pictured here in 2014, was hospitalized in New York in May.  <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The producer was <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/30\/celebrity-news\/clive-davis-94-hospitalized-in-nyc\/\">hospitalized in New York City on May 29<\/a>, with a source telling TMZ that he was suffering from \u201can upper respiratory infection and out of an abundance of caution, he was admitted to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the time, the insider said he was expected to be released within 24 hours. <\/p>\n<p>Prior to his hospitalization, the iconic producer was spotted at the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction in New York City on May 19. <\/p>\n<p>The Arista Records founder was <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2021\/02\/23\/clive-davis-diagnosed-with-bells-palsy-postpones-grammys-bash\/\">diagnosed with Bell\u2019s Palsy<\/a> in February 2021, with a rep saying that the time that he was \u201cbeing treated with antibiotics and steroids\u201d and was \u201cexpected to recover within six to eight weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Davis had an early start as a music mogul \u2014 after breaking into the business in the early 1960s, he was appointed president of Columbia Records at the age of 35 in 1967.<\/p>\n<p>After visiting the Monterey Pop Festival that year, Davis signed Janis Joplin and her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, to Columbia \u2014 his first for the iconic label. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Davis was appointed president of Columbia Records in 1967. He\u2019s seen here in an archival photo.  <span class=\"credit\">Michael Ochs Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Davis, seen above in a throwback photo, became president and founder of Arista Records in 1974.  <span class=\"credit\">Michael Ochs Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He subsequently became founder and president of Arista Records in 1974, a post he held up until 2000, when he founded J Records. <\/p>\n<p>Under the newly founded label, he personally selected and pitched the 1974 song \u201cMandy\u201d to Barry Manilow, and it became the label\u2019s first hit record. <\/p>\n<p>Among the hundreds of chart-topping singles overseen by the music legend over the decades are Whitney Houston\u2019s \u201cGreatest Love of All,\u201d Simon &amp; Garfunkel\u2019s \u201cBridge Over Troubled Water,\u201d Billy Joel\u2019s \u201cPiano Man,\u201d Santana\u2019s \u201cSmooth,\u201d Alicia Keys\u2019 \u201cFallin\u201d and Kelly Clarkson\u2019s \u201cSince U Been Gone,\u201d among many others. <\/p>\n<p> Davis served as Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment beginning in late 2008 until<strong> <\/strong>his death.<\/p>\n<p>Davis was known for his iconic pre-Grammy parties, which began in 1975 and were only interrupted by Davis\u2019 2021 Bell\u2019s Palsy diagnosis. <\/p>\n<p>Though the mogul was forced to postpone the second half of his traditional bash, a rep reassured fans at the time that the party would go on. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>He discovered Whitney Houston, (seen above with the record magnate in a throwback photo), in 1983.  <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>He oversaw the careers of multiple music superstars. He\u2019s seen above with Dionne Warwick in 2024.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe is in good spirits and looks forward to doing the second half of his pre-Grammy gala in May,\u201d\u00a0the rep said. <\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the Grammy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammy.com\/news\/pre-grammy-gala-is-a-ticket\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">labeled the event \u201cthe second most coveted ticket\u201d<\/a> of the Grammys. \u201cDavis is nothing short of a living legend in the music industry, and his parties have become legendary as the most star-studded and excitement-packed of VIP bashes,\u201d a release read. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough the years, an array of A-list talents have performed at these events, turning the celebrations into the ultimate, intimate, \u2018insider\u2019 concerts.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Those \u201cinsiders\u201d were nothing short of music\u2019s greatest names. Repeat attendees have included John Legend, Joni Mitchell, Manilow, Jennifer Hudson, and Dave Grohl. <\/p>\n<p>Throughout the years, other A-listers to drop in have included Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, and Whitney Houston. <\/p>\n<p>In an interview, Davis once <a href=\"https:\/\/the-talks.com\/interview\/clive-davis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">addressed the practical role<\/a> his pre-Grammy parties had in launching the careers of so many artists. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Davis, seen here in 2024, was known for his legendary pre-Grammy parties.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cAll you can really do for an artist is create an opportunity to be seen by tastemakers,\u201d he once said. He\u2019s seen above in May 2026 with Alicia Keys, Chance The Rapper and Swizz Beatz. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for The Gordon Parks Foundation<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWell, all you can really do for an artist is create an opportunity to be seen by tastemakers,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if they don\u2019t have the goods to back it up, it just becomes another social function. The value of the music shouldn\u2019t be undermined.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The exclusive bash has been host to a number of memorable incidents \u2014 but in 2012, it was also the setting for a historic tragedy. <\/p>\n<p>On February 11, 2012, Houston \u2014 by then a Grammy winning pop and R&amp;B juggernaut \u2014 was found dead in her hotel room at the The Beverly Hilton, hours before the gala was set to take place at the same location. <\/p>\n<p>Davis opted to move forward with the event, transitioning it to a somber tribute to the pop songstress, who was discovered by him in her teens. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo put it simply, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on,\u201d Davis said at the event, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/music\/music-news\/whitney-houston-death-clive-davis-gammy-party-289680\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to the Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, before asking for a moment of silence for her. <\/p>\n<p>Tony Bennett, Alicia Keys and others honored the late singer onstage in the hours following her death. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cThe value of the music shouldn\u2019t be undermined,\u201d he has stated. He\u2019s seen here in 1995.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Houston once called Clive, seen here in 2022, \u201ca constant.\u201d  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Houston once addressed critics\u2019 claims that Davis was \u201cpulling the strings\u201d behind the scenes in her career. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody makes me do anything I don\u2019t want to do,\u201d she told Rolling Stone back in 1993. \u201cClive and I work well together. We get on each other\u2019s nerves sometimes, but we\u2019ve been together 10 years now. Anybody can get on anybody\u2019s nerves over that long a time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of their<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2022\/12\/25\/clive-davis-whitney-houston-made-valiant-attempt-to-give-up-drugs\/\"> personal bond<\/a>, which saw the magnate mentor her to global superstardom, Houston once said, \u201cClive is a constant. He\u2019s my guide and my confidante and he knows the love songs so well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other stars were equally complimentary. \u201cHe\u2019s predictable, yet he\u2019s forward-thinking,\u201d Carly Simon once said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. \u201cHe\u2019s remarkable in his stamina. He\u2019s very loving, he has a big heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Davis\u2019 remarkable eye for talent, he himself <a href=\"https:\/\/hls.harvard.edu\/today\/record-breaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said simply<\/a>, \u201cYou look for stars. You look for the makeup of [artists] who can have long-lasting careers and who could be headliners.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Clive, pictured here with Aretha Franklin, once said of his success, \u201cYou look for stars.\u201d  <span class=\"credit\">Corbis\/VCG via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The music magnate, seen here in April 2026, was married twice and had four children.  <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He also addressed his personal relationships with the stars he\u2019s guided<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf an artist knows you have respect for their talent\u2014which I have to feel to my core, to sign them\u2014they know that you\u2019re in their corner,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/culture\/2014\/nov\/05\/30-minutes-with-clive-jones-record-producer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told the Guardian<\/a> in 2014. <\/p>\n<p>Still, the staggering influence he\u2019s exerted over the industry  \u2014 he\u2019s has won five\u00a0Grammy Awards\u00a0and was inducted into the\u00a0Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000 \u2014 was almost happenstance, he once divulged. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had no idea that I was ever getting into music,\u201d he told the Guardian. \u201cI did not prepare for a music career, and here I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The music magnate was married and divorced twice \u2014 to Helen Cohen from 1956 to 1965 and to Janet Adelberg from 1965 to 1985. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>He came out as bisexual in 2013. He\u2019s seen here in a throwback portrait.  <span class=\"credit\">Michael Ochs Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cPeople need music,\u201d he once said in an interview. He\u2019s seen above with Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elizabeth Taylor, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager in 1986.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He welcomed son Fred in 1960, daughter Lauren in 1962, son Mitchell in 1970, and\u00a0son Doug \u2014 who is a Grammy Award winning record producer in his own right \u2014\u00a0in 1972. <\/p>\n<p>Davis publicly came out as bisexual in 2013 in his memoir, \u201cThe Soundtrack of My Life,\u201d at the age of 80. He wrote at the time that he\u2019d been in a \u201cstrong monogamous relationship\u201d with a man for the previous seven years. <\/p>\n<p>The impact of music was behind his meteoric rise in the industry, and his continued success. \u201cMusic is a necessary ingredient in people\u2019s lives,\u201d he said by way of explanation, <a href=\"https:\/\/the-talks.com\/interview\/clive-davis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">per \u201cThe Talks.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo matter what revolution is occurring in technology, it has to understand that music will not be obsoleted. People need music, and they\u2019ve needed it for many years in many different ways; whether you go back to church traditions or other traditions in life, whether it\u2019s pop or soul or rock or jazz\u2026 It\u2019s a very, very natural basic ingredient that\u2019s essential to the full enjoyment of life.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/22\/celebrity-news\/music-mogul-clive-davis-dead-at-94\/\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music mogul Clive Davis, who oversaw the monumental careers of Whitney Houston, Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/129216764.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}