‘The Godfather of Pop’ Clive Davis Dies, Aged 94… The “Golden Ear” That Helped Discover Whitney Houston Rests in Peace

Clive Davis (Clive Davis), the honorary chairman of Sony Music and the “godfather of pop” who has uncovered countless superstars—including Whitney Houston—is gone.

■ Quiet rest at his New York home… “The end of an era” for the music world

On the morning of the 23rd, legendary record producer and founder of Arista Records, Clive Davis, died peacefully at his home in New York, the United States, with his family watching. He was 94.

In a statement, the bereaved family said, “Clive never lost his passion for music until the very last moment, and the legacy he leaves behind will ring out forever.” As news of his passing spread, a wave of mourning is sweeping across the world’s music scene, including tributes from titans with whom he spent a lifetime, such as Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Barry Manilow.

■ From Janis Joplin to Alicia Keys… The stars found by the “Golden Ear”

Born in 1932 into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Clive Davis was a promising attorney who had graduated from Harvard Law School. But after taking office in 1967 as president of Columbia Records, his genius “Golden Ear” began to shine.

Right after assuming the post, he started by discovering and signing an unknown Janis Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival. He went on to bring in numerous legendary artists who reshaped the landscape of popular music—among them Chicago, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and Earth, Wind & Fire—while forging Columbia’s golden era.

In 1974, he went on to directly found Arista Records, leading a dramatic comeback for Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Dion DiMucci, and Aretha Franklin, once again proving his unrivaled ability as a producer.

■ Meeting “soul mate” Whitney Houston, and the mythology of J Records

His brightest achievement in his career was, above all, his meeting with Whitney Houston. In 1983, Davis heard the voice of Houston, then a 19-year-old girl at a New York club, recognized her genius at a glance, and signed her on the spot. From then on, he oversaw the selection and production of every track—from Houston’s debut album to the Bodyguard soundtrack—helping build her into the greatest diva in history.

Even after entering the 2000s, his instincts did not dull. After founding the new label J Records, he discovered then-up-and-coming Alicia Keys and turned her into a worldwide R&B star. He also established Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson—both major hit singers who came from the audition program American Idol—as breakout stars.

■ The king of the Grammys, left as an enduring legend

In addition to winning the Grammys five times in total, Clive Davis—who was also inducted into the ‘Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’ (as an artist) as the top honor in 2000—has spent his 90s year after year as a skilled practitioner and central figure in the pop market. He has done so by hosting the “Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala,” which gathers Hollywood’s top stars in one place on the night before the annual Grammy Awards.