Clive Davis

Harvard Law School

Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000.

From 1967 to 1973, Davis was the president of Columbia Records. He was founder and president of Arista Records from 1974 through 2000 until founding J Records. From 2002 until April 2008, he was chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group (which included RCA Records, J Records, and Arista Records), chair and CEO of J Records, and chair and CEO of BMG North America.

Davis is credited with hiring a young recording artist, Tony Orlando, as a music executive for Columbia in 1967 who provided Barry Manilow with his first recording contract a few years later. He has signed many artists who achieved significant success, including Pink Floyd, Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Laura Nyro, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Donovan, Bay City Rollers, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Loggins and Messina, Ace of Base, Olivia Longott and Westlife. He is also credited with bringing Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow to prominence.

As of 2018, Davis is the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.

Early life and education

Davis was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to Jewish parents, Herman and Florence Davis. His father was an electrician and salesman. Davis was raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn,

His mother died at age 47, and his father died the following year when Davis was still a teenager. He then moved in with his married sister, who lived in Bayside, Queens.

Davis attended New York University College of Arts & Science, where he graduated

Career

Columbia/CBS Records years

Davis practiced law in a small firm in New York, then moved on to the firm of Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek, and Freund two years later, where partner Ralph Colin had CBS as a client. Davis was subsequently hired by a former colleague at the firm, Harvey Schein, to become assistant counsel of CBS subsidiary Columbia Records at age 28, and then general counsel the following year.

As part of a reorganization of Columbia Records Group, group president Goddard Lieberson appointed Davis as administrative vice president and general manager in 1965. In 1966, CBS formed the Columbia-CBS Group which reorganized CBS's recorded music operations into CBS Records with Davis heading the new unit.

The next year, Davis was appointed president and became interested in the newest generation of folk rock and rock and roll. One of his earliest pop signings was the British folk-rock musician Donovan, who enjoyed a string of successful hit singles and albums released in the U.S. on the Epic Records label. That same year, Davis hired 23-year-old recording artist Tony Orlando as general manager of Columbia publishing subsidiary April-Blackwood Music; Orlando went on to become vice-president of Columbia/CBS Music and signed Barry Manilow in 1969.

In June 1967, Davis attended the Monterey Pop Festival after his friends and business associate, Lou Adler, convinced him. He immediately signed Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Columbia went on to sign Laura Nyro, The Electric Flag, Santana, The Chambers Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel; Blood, Sweat & Tears, Loggins and Messina, Aerosmith, and Pink Floyd (for rights to release their material outside of Europe).

One of the most commercially successful recordings released during Davis' tenure at Columbia was Lynn Anderson's Rose Garden, in late 1970. It was Davis who insisted that "Rose Garden" be the country singer's next single release. The song crossed over and was a No. 1 hit in 16 countries worldwide. "Rose Garden" remained the biggest-selling album by a female country artist for 27 years.

In 1972, Davis signed Earth, Wind & Fire to Columbia Records. One of his most recognized accomplishments was signing the Boston group Aerosmith to Columbia Records in the early 1970s at New York City's Max's Kansas City. The accomplishment was mentioned in the 1979 Aerosmith song "No Surprize", in which Steven Tyler sings, "Old Clive Davis said he's surely gonna make us a star, I'm gonna make you a star, just the way you are." Starting on December 30, 1978, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead occasionally changed the lyrics of the Dead standard "Jack Straw" in concert from "we used to play for silver, now we play for life", to "we used to play for acid, now we play for Clive."

One of the last bands Davis tried to sign to Columbia Records was the Detroit band Death.

A Rolling Stone article dated July 5, 1973 reported that CBS fired Clive Davis "amid allegations of misuse of funds and providing drugs to artists and disk jockeys" as part of an alleged payola scandal. Davis, however, denies that his dismissal was connected in any way to drugs or payola.

Arista years

After Davis was fired from CBS Records in 1973 for allegedly using company funds to bankroll his son's bar mitzvah, Columbia Pictures then hired him to be a consultant for the company's Bell Records label. Davis took time out to write his memoirs and then founded Arista Records in 1974. The company was named after New York City's secondary school honor society of that name, of which Davis was a member.

At Arista, Davis signed Barry Manilow, followed by Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Patti Smith, Westlife, Al Jourgensen, The Outlaws, Eric Carmen, Kenny G, the Bay City Rollers, Exposé, Taylor Dayne, Milli Vanilli, Ace of Base, Air Supply, Ray Parker Jr., Raydio, and Alicia Keys, and he brought Carly Simon, Melissa Manchester, Grateful Dead, The Kinks, Jermaine Stewart, Gil Scott-Heron (on whose episode of TV One's Unsung Davis was interviewed) and Lou Reed to the label. He co-founded Arista Nashville in 1989 with Tim DuBois, which became the home to Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Pam Tillis, and Brad Paisley.

Davis founded LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and Babyface. LaFace subsequently became the home of TLC, Usher, Outkast, Pink and Toni Braxton. He founded Bad Boy Records with Sean "Puffy" Combs and it became the home of The Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Combs, Mase, 112, and Faith Evans, although Davis would later admit that he never quite understood rap music. In 1998, Davis signed LFO from European Success. LFO charted #3 with "Summer Girls" in 1999, and went on to multiplatinum success.

During the Arista years, he set up his own production company Clive Davis Entertainment, for a two-year first-look agreement with movie studio TriStar Pictures in 1987.

Davis was made aware of Cissy Houston's daughter Whitney Houston after he saw the Houstons perform at a New York City nightclub. Impressed with what he heard, Davis signed her to Arista. Houston became one of the biggest selling artists in music history under the guidance of Davis at Arista.

J Records, RCA, Sony years

Davis left Arista in 2000 and started J Records, an independent label with financial backing from Arista parent Bertelsmann Music Group, named with the middle initial of Davis and his four children. BMG would buy a majority stake in J Records in 2002, and Davis would become president and CEO of the larger RCA Music Group.

Davis' continued success in breaking new artists was recognised by the music industry A&R site HitQuarters when the executive was named "world's No.1 A&R of 2001" based on worldwide chart data for that year.

In 2004, BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG. With the assets of the former CBS Records (renamed Sony Music Entertainment in 1991) now under Sony's ownership, the joint venture would mean a return of sorts for Davis to his former employer. Davis remained with RCA Label Group until 2008, when he was named chief creative officer for Sony BMG.

Davis was elevated to Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, a title he currently holds, as part of a corporate restructuring when Sony BMG became Sony Music Entertainment in late 2008 when BMG sold its shares to Sony. Arista Records and J Records, which were both founded by Davis, were dissolved in October 2011 through the restructuring of RCA Records. All artists under those labels were moved to RCA Records.

Awards and honors

As a producer, Davis has won four Grammy Awards.

Davis also received the Grammy Trustees Award in 2000 and the President's Merit Award at the 2009 Grammys. In 2011, the 200-seat theater at the Grammy Museum was named the "Clive Davis Theater".

In 2000, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performers category. The same year, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.

In 2015, he was recognized by Equality Forum as one of the 31 Icons of the LGBT History Month.

Davis was a 2018 honoree at The New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala.

In public life and popular culture

An alumnus of New York University, Davis is a significant benefactor to it. The recorded music division of its Tisch School of the Arts, is named after him: the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

Davis was portrayed by Oscar-nominated actor, Stanley Tucci, in Sony Pictures's Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – a biopic about the life and music of Houston. Davis also served as a producer on the film.

A rare and insightful 2024 interview with Davis by Ritch Esra and Eric Knight was published on MubuTV.

Personal life

Davis has been married and divorced twice. He was married to Helen Cohen from 1956 to 1965 and to Janet Adelberg from 1965 to 1985. He has four children: Fred (born 1960), a prominent media investment banker, Lauren (born 1962), an entertainment attorney and arts professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Mitchell (born 1970), and Doug Davis (born 1974), a music executive and Grammy award-winning record producer.  Davis has eight grandchildren.

In 2013, at the age of 80, Davis publicly came out as bisexual in his autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life. On the daytime talk show Katie, he told host Katie Couric that he hoped his coming out would lead to "greater understanding" of bisexuality. The autobiography was the basis for the two-hour documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives.

Writings

References

References

1. "Clive Davis {{!}} Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".
2. https://www.classicbands.com/TonyOrlandoInterview.html#:~:text=And%20besides%20being%20a%20top,while%20working%20for%20Clive%20Davis
3. (April 6, 2016). "Q&A: Tony Orlando talks the Beatles, Elvis, and Meghan Trainor". [[Vancouver Sun]].
4. Gottlieb, Robert. (June 20, 2013). "At the Top of Pop".
5. Hollander, Jason. (Fall 2011). "The Man With the Platinum Ears". NYU Alumni Magazine.
6. and attended [[Erasmus Hall High School]].[https://www.erasmushall60.com/class_custom.cfm?page_id=112866 "Class of 1960 – and from other classes ..."], [[Erasmus Hall High School]]
7. "Clive Davis {{!}} Interview {{!}} American Masters".
8. Milano, Brett. "The legendary Clive Davis on music, law and luck".
9. Dannen, Fredric (1990). ''Hit Men''. [[Times Books]]. pp. 66–67; {{ISBN. 0-8129-1658-1
10. (August 7, 1965). "Columbia Reshuffles Brass; Gallagher, Davis Promoted".
11. (June 18, 1966). "Lieberson to Helm Group; Other Changes Made in the CBS Guard".
12. Knopper, Steve. (July 23, 2015). "Tony Orlando still hasn't needed that backup career option, despite his mother's advice". [[Chicago Tribune]].
13. (September 26, 2008). "Aerosmith Biography: From Clive Davis to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith". [[Max's Kansas City]].
14. (December 30, 1978). "Grateful Dead Live at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA on 1978-12-30; Reviews: reviewers Augy and DeadRed1971".
15. (March 20, 2007). "Jack Straw".
16. Bliss, Abi. (February 9, 2009). "Death: The Detroit band that never sold out". [[The Guardian]].
17. The Soundtrack of My Life by Clive Davis and Anthony DeCurtis pp. 169-176
18. "Clive Davis: Information from". Answers.com.
19. (June 22, 1973). "Let CBS Tell Its Own Ugly Story". [[Record-Journal]].
20. (July 5, 1973). "Clive Davis Ousted from Columbia; Payola Coverup Charged".
21. Stokes, Geoffrey. (April 24, 1977). "Clive's Comeback". [[The New York Times]].
22. Anson, Robert Sam. (February 2, 2000). "Clive Davis Fights Back".
23. "Clive Davis' impact on music".
24. Doreen Carvajal. (November 27, 1999). "Creative Turmoil At Arista; Founder and Chief Resists a Successor". [[The New York Times]].
25. Morris, Edward. (May 20, 1989). "Arista's New Country Division Is Ready To Roll".
26. (June 24, 1987). "Record Exec Davis Signs Development Pact With Tri-Star". [[Variety (magazine).
27. "Recording Industry Association of America".
28. Segal, David. (March 16, 2001). "The Man with the Golden Ear". [[The Washington Post]].
29. (January 5, 2002). "Clive Davis Wins World Top 100 A&R of 2001". [[HitQuarters]].
30. Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. (April 18, 2008). "Clive Davis replaced by Barry Weiss as BMG head". [[USA Today]].
31. Lauria, Peter. (October 10, 2008). "Sony Music turns to Davis for Hit$". [[New York Post]].
32. (October 7, 2011). "RCA's Peter Edge, Tom Corson on the Shuttering of Jive, J and Arista".
33. LeDonne, Rob. (18 August 2022). "Clive Davis".
34. Basham, David. (December 12, 2000). "Beach Boys, Bennett, Who To Win Lifetime Achievement Grammys". MTV.
35. Chmielewski, Dawn C.. (February 13, 2013). "CBS stokes Grammy Awards excitement with online extras". [[Los Angeles Times]].
36. Morgan, Laura. (March 9, 2000). "Hall Monitor". Entertainment Weekly.
37. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". [[American Academy of Achievement]].
38. Malcolm Lazin. (August 20, 2015). "Op-ed: Here Are the 31 Icons of 2015's Gay History Month". Advocate.com.
39. Kroll, Justin. (September 24, 2021). "Stanley Tucci To Play Clive Davis in Whitney Houston Biopic 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'".
40. [https://www.mubutv.com/news/mubutv-news/clive-davis-sits-down-one-on-one-with-mubutvs-ritch-esra-eric-knight-for-an-exclusive-conversation Interview 2024]
41. Goodman, Fred. (April 11, 2019). "Meet Fred Davis, One of the Industry's Biggest Dealmakers (And, Yes, Clive's Son)".
42. Newman, Melinda. (August 29, 2019). "Harry Belafonte, Rosanne Cash, Karrin Allyson Celebrate 'Centennial Tribute to Women's Suffrage': Exclusive".
43. (February 19, 2013). "Clive Davis' Grandkids Unaware About His Bisexuality". [[World Entertainment News Network]].
44. Strauss, Alix. (October 4, 2019). "On Again, Off Again, and With a Nudge, Now On Forever". [[The New York Times]].
45. "Clive Davis Gets Candid About Bisexuality In 'Soundtrack Of My Life' Memoir".
46. (February 18, 2013). "Clive Davis Comes Out of the Closet on ''Katie''".