Overview
- His longtime publicist confirmed Monday that Davis died at his Manhattan home and that he passed peacefully from an age-related illness while surrounded by family.
- Davis rose from a Columbia Records lawyer to company president in the 1960s, later founding Arista Records in 1974 and J Records in 2000, and he served as Sony Music’s chief creative officer at the time of his death.
- He is credited with signing or revitalizing careers for artists including Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys, and he won multiple Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Reports say he was hospitalized in New York in late May for an upper respiratory issue and discharged in early June before returning home.
- Family and industry tributes emphasize his ear for talent, his annual pre‑Grammy gala, and the Clive Davis Institute at NYU as lasting parts of his influence on how artists are found and developed.