Industry

Clive Davis, Music Industry Legend, Dies at 94

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive, has died at 94. His unparalleled impact on the music industry will forever be remembered, and rightfully, be appreciated.

Variety Music·Jun 23, 2026·via Variety Music

Clive Davis, Music Industry Legend, Dies at 94

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Jun 23, 2026 1:29pm PT

Clive Davis Never Played a Note, But He Forever Changed the Music Industry: An Appreciation

By Jem Aswad

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Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

jemaswad

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When a public figure is prominent and dominant for as long as Clive Davis — the legendary music executive who died yesterday at 94 — it’s easy to take them for granted, especially when they’re as vocal, as adept at self-promotion, and as outspokenly confident as he was.

Most of his contemporaries, fellow titans who helped create the modern record business like Ahmet Ertegun, Berry Gordy, Mo Ostin and Chris Blackwell, had long since dropped into the background or effectively retired by the time they reached their seventies. But even as Clive’s direct involvement in releasing music tapered off over the past decade, he was still hosting and overseeing his legendary annual Pre-Grammy Gala — which everyone has always called “The Clive Party,” still the hottest ticket in the industry — and keeping up a very active social and speaking schedule. Along with overseeing the Gala during this year’s Grammy Week, he also presented an award to Sharon Osbourne at Billboard’s Power 100 event, did his usual round of Pre-Grammy interviews, and probably a lot more. Just six weeks ago, he hosted a one-on-one conversation with his son Fred Davis, partner at the Raine Group and one of the music industry’s top investment bankers, at a conference in New York. The man had celebrated his 94th birthday only a few days earlier.