Arts

Issue #1451 (Clive Davis)

By HITS

Published

Sep 22, 2026

Pages

1

Language

English

The death of legendary music executive Clive Davis, as we note in our just-published print issue, truly signals the end of an era. From his early days as a prescient attorney-turned-label chief at Columbia to his remarkable years overseeing his personally curated imprint, Arista, and his final biz chapter at J and variously titled BMG- and Sony-run music groups, he helped shape the sound of the last six decades. He was also the dapper host of the biz calendar’s biggest party, his yearly Grammy gala. We’re just beginning to grasp the extent of Clive’s impact. He was one of a kind.