Bruce Springsteen, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith and Carlos Santana are among the music luminaries mourning the death of mogul Clive Davis, who died Monday at the age of 94.
Springsteen, who Davis signed to Columbia when the Boss was just 22, with Davis later urging him to be a more dynamic live performer, said the mogul “changed my life.”
“Over here on E Street, we mourn the death of the great record man and close friend Clive Davis. At 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records,” Springsteen wrote on Instagram. “He treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success. A great man. All our prayers and love.”
Manilow said his “heart is heavy with the loss” of his friend.
“For 50 years we worked together, created together, argued together and celebrated together,” Manilow said of Davis in a statement. “Yes, some would say it was business. But to Clive, it never was. It was family. And I was honored to be a part of his. Thank you Clive. I wish we could do it all again.”
Smith thanked Davis, “for transforming music, and on a very personal note, for believing in me, shepherding my efforts and a half century of your love and support.”
Also penning an emotional tribute was Rod Stewart, who Davis had signed to J Records when Stewart was in his 50s, helping him steer a massive career comeback with his Great American Songbook series.
I owe Clive so much,” Stewart wrote on Instagram. “The force behind J Records, he was the only one who believe a rock singer could sing the standards with conviction. Other labels rejected the idea, and so The Great American Songbook was born, selling close to 40 million copies. We had some wonderful, unforgettable times together, but for now, Mr. Davis, it’s goodbye my dear friend.”
Carlos Santana shared a lengthy tribute in which he called Davis a “visionary.”
“He could hear the intangible before anyone else could see it. He believed in Santana from the beginning, and years later he believed in us again. That kind of faith is a beautiful blessing, and I will always be grateful,” Santana wrote of Davis.
“Clive understood that music is more than entertainment,” Santana wrote. “Music is a healing force. It brings people together beyond fear, beyond separation, beyond borders. He dedicated his life to championing artists and helping them share their gifts with the world. Clive recognized the light in people. He encouraged artists to trust their own voice and step into their destiny. Because of his vision, countless musicians were able to reach hearts across the planet. I thank Clive for his friendship, his trust and his belief in Santana. We celebrate his extraordinary journey and the legacy of joy, inspiration and possibility that he leaves behind. We send our deepest love and blessings to his family and to all who were touched by his life.”
Kenny Loggins shared that he owes his “career to Clive Davis.”
“He believed in me when others would only ‘wait and see.’ He had the ability to use his ‘gut’ instead of just looking at the numbers,” Loggins wrote in a statement. “The last of his kind in this business, he will be missed.”
The day after Father’s Day, Diane Warren wrote that Davis’ death “feels like losing my father.”
“You were always family to me. It was my Dad who believed in me in the very beginning, it was you who never stopped believing in me,” the Oscar-nominated songwriter said on Instagram. “By having so many of your artists record my songs, even the ones who didn’t want to. And there were a few of those. I loved to play You songs and watch the look on your face when a song moved You. You really loved songs. And truly appreciated songwriters. You didnt look at fucking numbers and data, the only data that mattered to You was how it made you feel. Countless artists and songwriters owe everything to You. I am one of them. Without You I would never have the career I have. I know that. I will always cherish our friendship. No one will ever come close to what You have achieved. No one. Ever. Rest easy my dear friend, im sure there will be great voices to discover waiting for You in Heaven. I love You and I’m everything I an because you loved me. Thank You for that.”
Davis, a hands-on hitmaker known for his “golden ear” ability to identify talent, died at his home in Manhattan after he was recently hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection.
Across his six-decade career, including serving as chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment and former head of labels Columbia, Arista and J Records, Davis won five Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to his work with Springsteen, Manilow, Smith, Warren, Stewart and Santana, Davis worked with Janis Joplin, Whitney Houstonand Aretha Franklin.
Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley wrote that Davis’ death marked the loss of “the visionary and champion of so many artists in so many genres. A one of a kind genius. My condolences to his entire family.”
In addition to his achievements in the music industry, Davis was known for hosting an A-list party the Saturday night before the Grammys, which Magic Johnson noted in his tribute to his “good friend.”
“His Grammy parties will always be a core memory for [me and wife Cookie], and we’ll cherish all the great times we shared together,” Johnson wrote in part of Davis. “We’re going to miss him deeply and are praying for his entire family during this time.”
Meanwhile Geraldo Rivera remembered Davis as a “true gentleman with an impeccable taste in music.”
“A huge talent and a gracious man,” Rivera added of Davis. “He was an icon who will be sorely missed. RIP the ear who heard and celebrated Whitney Houston.”
Dionne Warwick remembered Davis as her “dear friend” and recalled how she used to identify him by his sense of style.
Davis, Warwick said in part in a statement, “lived a more than promised allotted time and made each moment count.”
“I am truly going to miss him,” she added. “He always wanted to know ‘where’s my Dionne?’ I referred to him as the brown shoe, white sock record executive. I can think of no other record man that seemed to have that magical ability to know a hit when he heard a song. The entire music industry I’m sure will mourn his passing. He was one of a kind.”
Singer Melissa Manchester offered a candid look at her experience working with Davis, saying she “struggled” with his “vision” for her, when he was running Arista.
“Clive was the head of Arista Records for many years. Arista had absorbed Bell Records where Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando & Dawn and I had been signed, so we three became the foundation upon which Clive built his new company,” Manchester said in a statement. “I struggled with Clive’s vision for my career sometimes. He struggled to understand me sometimes. I’d had great success and withering disappointments with him but, in the end, I was grateful that he believed in my talent in an unwavering way for so long. Here is the last photo we recently took together. He said, ‘Call me whenever you’re performing in town. I’ll come.’ I swear I was just about to call him. Rest easy now, Clive, and Thank You!”
Narada Michael Walden — Grammy and Emmy-winning producer who produced hits for Franklin, Houston, Ray Charles, Wynonna Judd, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and more — wrote, “Clive Davis believed in great songs, great artists and great records. Through Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and so many others, our paths crossed in music history. Thank you, Clive, for believing in excellence and helping bring so much joy to the world through music. Rest in peace.”
Read on to see what else Hollywood is saying about Davis.
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