Clive Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clive Davis
Davis in 2023
Born	Clive Jay Davis (1932-04-04) April 4, 1932 (age 93) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Education	Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn
Alma mater	New York University Harvard Law School
Occupation	Record producer, record executive
Years active	1965–present
Spouse(s)	Helen Cohen ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1965)​ Janet Adelberg ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1985)​
Children	4

Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is a famous American record producer and record executive. He is known for helping many artists become stars.

Clive Davis has won five Grammy Awards, which are big music prizes. In 2000, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This honor is for people who have made a huge impact on rock and roll music.

From 1967 to 1973, Davis was the president of Columbia Records. He then started Arista Records in 1974 and led it until 2000. After that, he created J Records. He also held top positions at RCA Music Group and BMG North America.

Clive Davis helped many successful artists get their start. He signed stars like Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, and Pink Floyd. He is also famous for helping Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow become well-known.

As of 2018, Davis works as the chief creative officer for Sony Music Entertainment.

Early Life and Education

Clive Davis was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His parents were Herman and Florence Davis. His father worked as an electrician and salesman. Clive grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and went to Erasmus Hall High School.

When he was a teenager, both his mother and father passed away. After this, he moved to Bayside, Queens, to live with his older, married sister.

Davis went to New York University College of Arts & Science. He graduated with high honors in 1953, studying political science. He then received a full scholarship to Harvard Law School, where he finished his studies in 1956.

A Career in Music

Starting at Columbia Records

Clive Davis first worked as a lawyer in New York. Later, he joined a firm that had CBS as a client. At age 28, he was hired by CBS to work for their music company, Columbia Records. He quickly became the general counsel, which means he was the main lawyer for the company.

In 1965, Davis became an important manager at Columbia Records. The next year, he was put in charge of all of CBS's music operations, called CBS Records.

In 1967, Davis became the president of Columbia Records. He became very interested in new music styles like folk rock and rock and roll. One of the first artists he signed was the British musician Donovan. Donovan had many hit songs and albums. That same year, Davis hired Tony Orlando, who later helped sign Barry Manilow.

Discovering New Talent

In June 1967, Clive Davis went to the Monterey Pop Festival. He was very impressed by the music he heard there. He quickly signed Janis Joplin and her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Columbia Records then signed many other famous artists under his leadership. These included Laura Nyro, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Loggins and Messina, Aerosmith, and Pink Floyd.

One very successful song during his time at Columbia was Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden" in 1970. Davis insisted that this song be released as a single. It became a number one hit in 16 countries.

In 1972, Davis signed Earth, Wind & Fire to Columbia Records. He also signed the Boston band Aerosmith in the early 1970s. This signing was even mentioned in Aerosmith's song "No Surprize."

Creating Arista Records

After leaving CBS Records in 1973, Clive Davis founded his own record company, Arista Records, in 1974. He named it after a high school honor society he was part of.

At Arista, Davis signed many more popular artists. These included Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Patti Smith, Kenny G, Ace of Base, Air Supply, and Alicia Keys. He also brought artists like Carly Simon and Grateful Dead to the label.

Davis also helped create other successful record labels. He founded LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and Babyface. LaFace became home to artists like TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton. He also started Bad Boy Records with Sean "Puffy" Combs. This label signed artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans.

One of Davis's biggest achievements at Arista was signing Whitney Houston. He saw her perform and was very impressed. Under his guidance, Whitney Houston became one of the best-selling music artists ever.

J Records and Sony Music

In 2000, Davis left Arista and started a new independent label called J Records. This label was named after his middle initial and his four children. In 2002, J Records became part of Bertelsmann Music Group, and Davis became the president and CEO of the larger RCA Music Group.

His ability to find new artists was recognized by the music industry. He was named the "world's No.1 A&R" (Artists and Repertoire) person in 2001.

In 2004, BMG joined with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG. This meant Davis was working with a company that included his former employer, CBS Records. In 2008, he became the chief creative officer for Sony Music Entertainment, a role he still holds today.

Awards and Recognition

Clive Davis has won four Grammy Awards as a producer.

Davis also received the Grammy Trustees Award in 2000. In 2011, a theater at the Grammy Museum was named the "Clive Davis Theater" in his honor.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in the same year.

Giving Back

Clive Davis is a generous supporter of New York University, where he went to college. The recorded music division of its Tisch School of the Arts is named the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music because of his help.

Clive Davis was also a producer for the movie Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody. This film tells the story of Whitney Houston's life and music. In the movie, Clive Davis was played by the actor Stanley Tucci.

Personal Life

Clive Davis has been married and divorced twice. He has four children: Fred, Lauren, Mitchell, and Doug Davis. His children also work in the entertainment industry. He also has eight grandchildren.

In 2013, Clive Davis wrote his autobiography called The Soundtrack of My Life. This book was later made into a two-hour documentary film, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives.

Writings

See also

In Spanish: Clive Davis para niños