Clive Davis, music industry titan, dies at 94
Clive Davis died at 94, and his representatives said he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones. As president of Columbia Records and founder of Arista and J Records, Davis signed or helped develop artists including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys. For more than five decades his ear for hits and his label leadership shaped how pop, rock and R&B stars were discovered, promoted and turned into global phenomena, marking the end of a defining era in the record business.
Clive Davis joined me on our SiriusXM show a few times. He had incredible stories about working with literally everyone, spoke fearlessly about his sexuality, and was always a total gentleman.
Dan Heilman3Talk about a legendary second act. After he was drummed out of Columbia over maybe-true-maybe-not embezzlement chargles, he started Arista -- which soon had Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Barry Manilow, the Kinks, Eric Carmen, the Bay City Rollers, etc.
Cynthia2I saw him at Patti Smith’s show at the Beacon Theatre in NYC last November, so impeccably dressed! What a legend.
![RON RAKOW: So anyway, we set it up. [Sam] Cutler had a booking agency down the street from
the Grateful Dead office. He had the most stunning Gothic dining room table you ever saw. It was a
big table with 12 thrones around it, hand-carved Gothic chairs. So they're around the table, and
Clive Davis comes in. All the important guys are there. Let's see: there was the band; [Robert]
Hunter; Owsley; Ram Rod; and maybe [Kidd] Candelario, somebody like that. Anyway, we're sitting
around and starting to talk, and Owsley comes in. Owsley goes right for Clive Davis, moves a little
folding chair next to Clive Davis's arm, and starts to talk in his ear. Clive is trying to have this
incredible debate with these
guys and me. And Owsley, in his monotone voice, is whispering into
his ear. We can all hear him, of course.
JESSE: One of Clive Davis's early signings to Columbia was Janis Joplin, a close friend to the Dead
and especially Owsley Stanley, who'd of course become a huge star. Her relationship with Clive
Davis and Columbia was complicated. Both before and after her death in 1970, there are those who
might describe that relationship as exploitative, to use a fairly mild synonym.
RON RAKOW: He's saying, "Sir, you're putting out press about a woman who's very, very important a
in our lifestyle. Her name is Janis Joplin, and you're making it look like she's a tramp. We find it
really offensive and it's not good for you, it's not good for her, it's not good for us. We'd like
you to
change that." And he goes on and on and on. That's the way Owsley was. He was amazing. Anyway,
we're sitting there, and we're choking back laughter because Owsley's doing what he does with us,
but he's doing it with Clive Davis! It's](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fqx46md74csov2hoaspit3o3/bafkreifnb72jwifwa2dfxqbo4mkezx67gln5xljho6w7wnceyzqt6l7d5m)
