Turning now to the death of a legend. Legend really is the word here about this man. Tributes are pouring in for music industry giant Clive Davis, who died on Monday at the age of 94. Patti Smith credited him with transforming music and believing in her. Bruce Springsteen noted that Davis treated him with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all his success. Dionne Warwick added that he seemed to have a magical ability to know a hit when he heard a song. Here is a look back at the legacy of an executive hailed as one of the all-time greats.
Clive Davis was known to many as the man with the golden ear, a career taste-maker who propelled artists across genres to mega-stardom. His roster of generations-spanning talent includes icons like Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, and Bruce Springsteen, and that is just scratching the surface. When CBS spoke to him about his career four years ago, Davis said he had been surprised by his success. He admitted he didn’t read music or play an instrument, stating that while he couldn’t explain how he knew what a hit single sounded like, the answer was simply that he just knew when he heard a hit song.
Davis began his career as a lawyer for Columbia Records, eventually becoming the company’s president. He was later forced out and founded Arista Records, where he famously discovered a 19-year-old singer in a Manhattan nightclub named Whitney Houston. The pop sensation went on to sell more than 200 million records worldwide. Part of what made him different was that he took everything personally. Kenny G was another Davis discovery in the early 1980s. At that point, there were no radio stations that were really playing instrumental music, but Davis felt like it was going to find its way into the mainstream, and he had a big hand in that.
Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, where he expressed his gratitude to all the musicians who had filled his life with their music. Although he wasn’t a musician himself, Davis once agreed to sing one of his favorite tunes, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” on air. Reflecting on his life, the hosts noted that what was remarkable was his ear for developing some of the greatest musical acts in history. Barack Obama once suggested that the music people know and love was shaped by Clive Davis. Those close to him remembered his incredible variety and his unique gift for taste.
Even in his later years, Davis famously felt like a teenager and never wanted to be treated like an elderly person. He remained deeply engaged with music, reportedly taking new music home every day to listen to until the very end. His passing at 94 feels like it happened too soon, leaving behind a monumental legacy that spans generations of musical history.
