Source: Entertainment Weekly
Clive Davis’ final public appearance was just weeks before his death.
The legendary music executive and former president of Columba Records, whose death was announced on June 22, was last seen in public at the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction in New York City on May 19.
Davis was seated with Alicia Keys, Chance the Rapper, and Swizz Beatz for the event, which also hosted other celebrities such as John Legend, Colin Kaepernick, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Chelsea Clinton.
Not long after the event, Davis was hospitalized for several days and released on June 4. “Clive was discharged from the hospital earlier today,” a spokesperson for Davis told PEOPLE upon his release. “He is in good spirits and happy to be recuperating at home.”
Weeks prior, Davis attended the Lost Boys premiere on Broadway at The Palace Theatre in Manhattan in late April.
Davis’ death was confirmed to The New York Times by his family. His longtime rep Aliza Rabinoff also told Rolling Stone that he “passed away peacefully from age-related illness… surrounded by his family and loved ones.”
Most well-known for launching the career of Whitney Houston, Davis has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Aerosmith, Barry Manilow, Santana, Pink Floyd, Kelly Clarkson, and Aretha Franklin, among many others.
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He began his career in the 1960s at Columbia Records as general council. Within a few years, he became president of the company. Davis founded his own label in 1974 called Arista.
“When I started Arista, I was no longer heading the number one label in the industry. It was a brand-new company, starting from scratch. I was hungry to be a major label. I needed multi-platinum, and the only way to get to be multi-platinum is with hit songs,” he told PEOPLE in 2022.
“I didn’t have to wait long because the first record on Arista was ‘Mandy.’ I gave it to Barry Manilow. It went to No. 1.”
At Arista, he signed artists many artists including “The Voice,” Whitney Houston: “Never has a voice so effortlessly or emotionally been able to bring the songs home. She received standing ovations time and time again.”
Davis won four Grammy Awards throughout his career and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a non-performer. He was also known for throwing an annual Pre-Grammys Gala the night before the awards show nearly every year since 1976.
“It’s hard to separate the life I’ve lived with my career, with contemporary music,” Davis told Rolling Stone in 2017 reflecting on his decades-long presence in the music industry.
“I consider myself fortunate that over five decades, and in a very tough business environment, music has provided a lifetime of unexpected pleasure and gratification.”
