It was the showbiz event of the year. I remember excitedly packing my bags and boarding the plane from Heathrow to LA for the Grammys. I slipped in a neon pink dress loaned by Harrods that reminded me of 1980s Whitney – and it didn’t go unnoticed, as I would later discover when the legendary host Clive thought so too.
Despite the obviously glitzy line-up at the Grammys, that was not what I was most looking forward to. Not at all. It was actually the night before the Grammys, when the who’s who of the A-list world would clamour to get into the Beverly Hilton for Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammys party. To get an exclusive ticket was like gold dust. So the year I was blessed to secure one – for the red carpet – it was the highlight of my trip.
As stars arrived one by one, we grabbed a few words with them – and they had nothing but praise for their gracious host, Clive. Then, as the red carpet was dying down, Clive himself arrived. Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, he carried himself with the confidence of someone who had helped shape American popular culture. He had an aura about him, something I could not quite put my finger on. I would call it simply star quality.
Looking dapper, he had that old-school Hollywood suaveness about him: a true record-industry boss, the type you would only imagine in the movies. When he saw how bubbly I was, the first journalist to grab him for a chat, he joked: “You’re just like a baby Whitney.”
Granted, he said the same thing about Leona Lewis too. “Come on in,” he said, as he invited me to take a seat in the main auditorium. “Whitney is on her way. She’ll be here any moment.”
It was a night I would never forget. Even long after they worked together, I was touched by the bond he had with Whitney. She was like a daughter to him, and that affection was there until the very end. There were so many characters at the party. Prince was just hilarious. When we took a snap of him, he shot off so fast it was as though he had left a trail of purple smoke behind him.
Years later, that memory returned with new force when Clive Davis took his final bow at his home in Manhattan on June 22, 2026, at the age of 94.
Clive was revered in music as “the man with the golden ear”. He left behind a remarkable legacy spanning decades across the industry. His impressive career included heading Columbia Records, Arista Records and J Records. But what cemented his reputation as the best in the business was his ability to discover, sign and shape the careers of some of the world’s most famous stars, including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow, Janis Joplin and, of course, Aretha Franklin.
While he was revered for his eye for talent, few knew about his philanthropy. The aforementioned pre-Grammys party was not just for the A-list to rub shoulders. Clive, who was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, had a deeper reason for throwing it year after year. He helped build the Grammy Museum and, throughout his life, raised millions for AIDS and cancer charities.
He didn’t just give money to the museum. He lived and breathed it, donating his time, his background knowledge of music and his treasured opinions. He always kept an eye on what was happening in the industry.
To this day, the Clive Davis Theater is one of the toughest tickets in town because of its intimacy and the level of programming it offers. As part of the experience, he ran an annual programme at the museum where people could come and learn. It was his true passion and something he was devoted to until the end.
Clive was also praised for his commitment to his gala, which remained the place to be every Grammy season.
The LA Times’ August Brown wrote: “I don’t think anybody could gather a roomful of luminaries like that from entertainment, tech and politics in the way that Clive did. We were lucky to be a part of that. Even with the stature he had, he was still a physical presence there, he was approachable. He was always looked at as this living legend, but his legacy was continuously being built.”
Meanwhile, it was touching to see Clive’s family give extraordinary insight into what the mogul was really like behind closed doors. Behind the glitz and glamour, it was refreshing to see that he was, above all, a loving father and grandfather.
In a tribute on his website, the Davis family wrote: “To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations. To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love. No matter how extraordinary his professional accomplishments, he never lost sight of what mattered most: the people he loved. Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always and carry a piece of him in our hearts forever.”
So will we. For an extraordinary talent of that calibre only comes along once in a lifetime.
Sarah Tetteh is an award-winning journalist and presenter
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