Music mogul Clive Davis dies at 94
Music industry legend Clive Davis dies at 94. He was briefly hospitalized in May for an upper respiratory infection. His longtime representative, Aliza Rabinoff, announced his death in an official statement, saying he “died peacefully from age-related illness… surrounded by his family and loved ones.”
The news has shaken the entertainment world as triggering a massive outpouring of tributes from the generations of artists he helped build. Following his death, music fans and industry insiders are pondering the enormous financial and cultural legacy left behind by one of the true giants in modern music history.
The Mogul’s Massive Earnings and Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth reports that Clive Davis had a net worth of $850 million at the time of his death. His career was one of the most commercially successful and influential in modern music history, defining five separate decades of pop, rock, R&B, and soul. His earnings were a testament to his brilliant business acumen and his legendary “ear” for finding global superstars.
Davis started his career as a practicing attorney before switching to the creative side of the business. He rapidly rose through the ranks at Columbia Records, becoming the label’s president in the late 1960s. In his time there, he signed or developed such monumental acts as Janis Joplin, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Under his leadership, Columbia Records became the most commercially dominant record label of that entire era.
Creating Icons for Arista Records and J Records
Davis left Columbia in the early 1970s to launch Arista Records, which would become a hugely successful enterprise under his leadership. At Arista, he famously launched the careers of global icons like Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow, and he engineered a major career revitalization for Aretha Franklin. His diverse roster also boasted such pioneers as Patti Smith, Alan Parsons, Kenny G, and Sarah McLachlan. Davis also helped to launch hip-hop’s meteoric rise with the signing of The Notorious B.I.G. and the creation of Bad Boy Records with Sean Combs.
Davis founded J Records in 2000, and it quickly became a powerhouse in the industry, launching the careers of multi-platinum artists like Alicia Keys and Luther Vandross. J Records later became part of the RCA Music Group, and Davis eventually served as Chief Creative Officer at Sony Music Entertainment. Beyond his corporate titles, he was known worldwide for his exclusive annual pre-Grammy gala, a star-studded event.
Early life, education, and personal life
Clive Davis was born Jewish to Herman and Florence in Brooklyn, New York, on April 4, 1932. Born and raised in the Crown Heights community, Davis saw his youth suddenly disrupted by tragedy, as he lost both parents within a two-year span during his teens. As a result, he moved to Queens to live with his married sister.
He was a very bright student and graduated from New York University in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, magna cum laude. Then, he went on to Harvard Law School on a full scholarship, earning his law degree in 1956.
Davis was married twice in his lifetime, first to Helen Cohen from 1956 until 1965, then to Janet Adelberg from 1965 until 1985. In his 2013 autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life, Davis came out to the world as bisexual, earning universal praise for his openness. He is survived by four children, Fred, Lauren, Mitch, and Doug, and an indelible musical legacy that will continue to influence the world for generations to come.
