Music Icon Clive Davis Passes Away at 94

Clive Davis, legendary record executive, dies at 94

June 22, 2026 By Murray Stassen

Clive Davis , the legendary record executive who founded Arista Records and J Records and signed Whitney Houston , has died at the age of 94 .

Davis died at his home in New York City on Monday ( June 22 ). His family announced his death in a statement posted to his official X account.

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives,” the Davis family wrote. “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 his love with us for the rest of our lives,” concluded the statement, signed the Davis Family .

Davis was named President of Columbia Records in 1967 , where he signed artists including Janis Joplin , Bruce Springsteen , Billy Joel , Santana and Aerosmith .

He founded Arista Records in 1974 , and the label went on to release music by Aretha Franklin , Barry Manilow , Patti Smith and the Grateful Dead .

In 1989 , Davis co-founded LaFace Records with Babyface and L.A. Reid , the home of OutKast , TLC , Usher , Pink and Toni Braxton .

He later launched Bad Boy Records with Sean Combs , which released music by The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans .

In 2000 , he left Arista to launch J Records , which signed and developed Alicia Keys .

Between 2002 and 2008 , Davis served as Chairman and CEO of the RCA Music Group .

He later became Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment , a title he held until his death.

No artist became more closely associated with Davis than Whitney Houston , whom he signed to Arista in 1983 .

He oversaw her recordings from her debut album through to her death in 2012 , a partnership that produced seven consecutive US Number One singles.

“No-one’s life goes up, up, up – and music is an especially tough business… You’ve got to be able to face adversity and count on resilience,” Davis told MBW in 2017 .

Davis hosted an annual pre- Grammy gala, which had taken place the night before the awards show since 1975 .

He hosted the most recent gala on January 31, 2026 , which honored Republic Records co-founders Monte and Avery Lipman .

Davis had been hospitalized in New York City in late May with an upper respiratory infection.

The Arista name was relaunched by Sony Music as a frontline label in 2018 , under David Massey .

Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and won five Grammy Awards across his career.

Aretha Franklin once called Davis “the greatest record man of all time.” Music Business Worldwide

_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/clive-davis-legendary-record-executive-dies-at-94/)._