Clive Davis, the record executive who transformed Columbia Records and later founded Arista, died Monday at his Manhattan home. He was 94. The cause was age-related illness.
For more than six decades, Mr. Davis steered the careers of some of pop music’s biggest names. He discovered Whitney Houston singing in a New York nightclub. He signed Bruce Springsteen to Columbia Records when Springsteen was unknown. He worked with Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, and Barry Manilow during his years at the label.
Born in Brooklyn in 1932, Davis studied law at New York University. He joined Columbia Records in 1960 as a lawyer and A&R executive. By 1967, he was president of the label. Under his leadership, Columbia became a major force in rock and pop music.
Mr. Davis had a gift for spotting talent early. He heard something in Springsteen’s music that others missed. He recognized Houston’s potential before she released a single album. His ear shaped the sound of American pop for generations.
After leaving Columbia in 1973, he founded Arista Records. The label would go on to release albums by Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Patti Smith. He later created J Records, which signed artists like Alicia Keys and Chris Brown.
His impact extended beyond individual artists. He pushed Columbia to sign rock acts when the label focused mainly on classical music. He believed in artists before they had proven sales records. This willingness to take risks defined his career.
Davis won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. His autobiography, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” published in 2013, became a bestseller. In it, he detailed the stories behind each artist he had guided.
Aretha Franklin once called him “the greatest record man of all time.” Springsteen credited Davis with changing his life at 22. Houston’s career spanned decades, with Davis as her mentor throughout.
In recent years, his health had declined. He was hospitalized after respiratory problems. Yet his influence remained visible across popular music. Nearly every major pop star of the past 50 years owed something to his vision.
His legacy lives in the records he shaped. The artists he believed in continue to sell millions of albums. His name appears on some of the best-selling albums in music history.
Davis is survived by his family. No immediate memorial plans were announced.
