Clive Davis, the OG music industry exec known for signing Whitney Houston and igniting the career of Sean “Diddy” Combs, has passed away. He was 94.
The New York Times reports that Davis died on Monday (June 22) at his home in Manhattan. The Brooklyn native had reportedly recently been hospitalized for with respiratory issues and his family confirmed his passing.
Davis, who would become famed despite not being a performer, started in the music business as a lawyer for Columbia Records. While becoming a renowned kingmaker, some of his famed signings to recording contracts across the years include the aforementioned Houston, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Milli Vanilli.
Famously, or now infamously, in 1993 it was Davis who agreed to a joint venture with Diddy Combs’ then-fledgling Bad Boy Records after the disgraced exec had been fired from Uptown Records. The result was classic music from the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e and Faith Evans. After leaving Arista in 2000, Davis formed J Records, whose signings included Alicia Keys and Luther Vandross.
Over the decades, Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala was a yearly A-list event.
Davis’ last gig in the music biz was chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and he reportedly never officially retired.
