Music mogul Clive Davis died Monday at his Manhattan home at the age of 94.
The legendary producer and music executive oversaw the careers of a long list of famous artists including Whitney Houston, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen and Kelly Clarkson.
His cause of death was not disclosed in The New York Times’ announcement of his passing.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 03: Clive Davis speaks onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jon Platt at The Beverly Hilton on February 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
TMZ previously reported that David was hospitalized in New York City May 29.
An unconfirmed source told the outlet that he was suffering from “an upper respiratory infection and out of an abundance of caution, he was admitted to the hospital,” at the time.
Every indication suggested he would be released fairly quickly. It’s not clear what led to the star’s health decline in the days leading up to his passing.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 03: Clive Davis attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jon Platt at The Beverly Hilton on February 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Davis will forever be remembered as one of the most influential figures in modern music history, shaping the sound of multiple generations through an unparalleled ear for talent.
He launched the careers of some of the music industry’s most iconic artists, leaving a lasting impression on the landscape of music across multiple genres.
BEVERLY HILLS – JULY 23: (L-R) Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Worldwide, Clive Davis, singers Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder and actress Jane Fonda during the Whitney Houston “I Look To You” CD Listening Party held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 23, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
In 1974, Davis transitioned Columbia Pictures’ record and music division to Arista Records and enlisted some of the top artists to emerge from the ’80s. He was pivotal in bringing together L.A. Reid and Babyface to form LaFace Records, boasting a roster of artists that included TLC, Toni Braxton, Usher, Pink, and OutKast.
In the mid ’90s, they partnered with Sean Combs for the evolution of Bad Boy Records, which developed the careers of Notorious B.I.G., and Faith Evans. (RELATED: Influential Economist Alan Greenspan Dead At 100)
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 27: Recording artist Alicia Keys, host Clive Davis, Honoree Jay-Z, and Recording Academy and MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow attend the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z on January 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS)
Davis was honored for his exceptional contributions with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
That same year he left Arista and founded J Records, where Davis ignited the careers of Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and jointly with Octone Records, the incredible Maroon 5, led by Adam Levine.
“If it wasn’t for Clive and Columbia Records in 1972, Earth, Wind & Fire as you know it today just wouldn’t be here on this level,” the band’s Ralph Johnson told USA TODAY in 2026.
“He had vision, and it was his vision in conjunction with [band founder] Maurice White’s vision that made it happen. It was one of the greatest relationships ever.”