Clive Davis, one of the most influential figures in the American music industry, has died at the age of 94. The record executive died this Monday in New York after being hospitalized last Friday for a respiratory infection.
Few record executives had as much impact on pop history as Clive Davis. He was president of Columbia Records, later founded Arista Records, and his name appears linked to the discovery and development of some of the most important contemporary pop artists.
Among the talents he signed and promoted were Whitney Houston, of whom he was one of the main mentors, and also names as diverse and iconic as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Santana, Aerosmith, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Barry Manilow or, more recently, Alicia Keys.
Winner of five Grammy Awards and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 in the non-performer category, Davis continued to be linked to Sony Music during the last decades of his life as creative director.
In a statement, Davis’ family has highlighted both his legacy in the music industry and his personal side. His relatives have recalled that, despite his enormous professional success, he always gave priority to his family and those closest to him.
