Clive Davis, the record executive who had a knack for identifying talent and hit singles in a storied career, most prominently with the Columbia and Arista labels, died today (June 22, 2026) at age 94. While at the helm of those labels and others, he helped make stars of such recording giants as Janis Joplin, Chicago, Barry Manilow and Whitney Houston. The news of his death was announced by his family; Davis had been hospitalized earlier this month with respiratory issues.

Among other accomplishments, Davis, as president of Columbia Records, signed Aerosmith in the 1970s, launched Arista Records—home of everyone from Patti Smith to the Grateful Dead—and founded Bad Boy Records alongside Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs. Davis also played a major role in bringing to stardom Laura Nyro, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Sly and the Family Stone and Santana (twice).

The family’s announcement of his death noted, “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.”

A documentary, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, based on his 2013 bestselling autobiography, written with music journalist Anthony DeCurtis, opened the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

The film chronicled Davis’ influence since his emergence in the 1960s. Directed by Chris Perkel, it told the story of what drove Davis—a child of early twentieth-century working-class Brooklyn who lost both parents as a teenager—to full academic scholarships to NYU and Harvard Law School and a brief but impactful stint as a white-shoe lawyer. His unrelenting drive to be the best and a twist of fate led Davis to assume the presidency of Columbia Records at just 35 years of age. It was only after the discovery of Janis Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival, and Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Santana and Aerosmith shortly thereafter, that it became clear that Davis had a natural gift for identifying talent.

Davis signed, influenced and drove the careers of many of the most important classic rock acts of the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition to those already mentioned, these include Simon and Garfunkel, Billy Joel, the Kinks and Dionne Warwick, among many others.

From his official biography: Davis served as General Counsel of Columbia Records and was appointed Vice President and General Manager in 1966. In 1967 he was named President of the label. The Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 confirmed what Davis had been feeling about rock: the new music was a powerful force, the artistic expression of an emerging culture. He personally signed Janis Joplin’s Big Brother and The Holding Company to Columbia. After that, he was directly responsible for the signing and/or nurturing of many more landmark artists in the rock field, among them Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Santana, Boz Scaggs, Loggins & Messina, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith and Earth, Wind and Fire. In addition to bringing this fresh, brand new talent to Columbia, he signed such artists as Neil Diamond, Pink Floyd, Herbie Hancock and the Isley Brothers.

Springsteen’s tribute: “Over here on E Street, we mourn the death of the great record man and close friend Clive Davis. At 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records. He treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success. A great man. All our prayers and love.”

While building the rock roster, Davis was also strengthening the label’s catalog in all fields of recorded music, achieving historic success in the areas of R&B, country, jazz and pop music. He played a key role in the careers of Simon & Garfunkel, Sly and the Family Stone, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Andy Williams. Davis figured prominently in shaping career turning points for Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, and he signed Weather Report. Davis’ deal with Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff brought to the company the famed Philadelphia-International label, which had an enormous string of hits and helped set the course for black music in the ’70s.

Watch Clive Davis tell David Letterman about signing Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead and others

Davis left Columbia in 1973, for allegedly using company funds to pay for his son’s Bar Mitzvah party, which he denied. He soon founded—with Columbia Pictures—Arista Records in 1974. Only three months after the company opened its doors, Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” hand-picked by Davis, went to #1.

“My heart is heavy with the loss of my friend Clive Davis.

For fifty years we worked together, created together, argued together, and celebrated together.

Yes, some would say it was business.
But to Clive, it never was.
It was family.
And I was honored to be a part of his.…

— Barry Manilow (@barrymanilow) June 22, 2026

Under his leadership, Arista launched the careers of Houston, Patti Smith, Kenny G, Sarah McLachlan and numerous others. The label also attracted such stars as Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead, the Kinks, Lou Reed, Warwick and Carly Simon, returning these acts to prominence.

Rest in peace Clive Davis… the Arista years were an important part of the Kinks story. We hold Clive in high regard and will always appreciate how much he supported us. https://t.co/3zlpmKz8kl

— Dave Davies (@davedavieskinks) June 22, 2026

On June 24, Carly Simon, who enjoyed a career renaissance with the aptly titled Coming Around Again, her biggest album in nearly a decade for Arista, after her initial period of success at Elektra, shared her thoughts about the man with a “clairvoyant ear.” “Clive Davis was the gentlest, prickliest, most lovable, most ferocious pussycat around,” she wrote. “He made me madder than anyone I ever knew, but in the end the things I got so indignant about were transformed into much better records. With Clive, the successes and big awards were worth all that fruitful, back-and-forth. I can still picture him in his office, and his face, his eyes closed, his cupid-bow lips, his arms tightly crossed, deciding whether you and your songs were destined for heaven, hell, or someplace in-between.

“Clive, you believed in music with your whole being. You had the rare gift of hearing not just what an artist was, but what they could become. Somehow, always, you made the impossible feel inevitable. I feel so lucky to have known you, lucky to have worked with you, and lucky, like so many, to have been on the receiving end of your clairvoyant ear.”

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In 1994, Davis and producer/entrepreneur Sean “Puffy” Combs entered into a joint venture that resulted in the creation of Bad Boy Records with an artist roster that grew to include Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and of course, Combs, as it became the most successful Hip-Hop and Rap label of the ’90s.

In 1999, he reunited with Santana. The resulting album, Supernatural, earned nine Grammy Awards, and sold over 26 million copies worldwide, produced the #1 hits “Smooth” and “Maria, Maria.” Carlos Santana and Davis accepted, as producers, the Grammy for Best Album of the Year.

Carlos Santana wrote a lengthy tribute to his longtime friend. “Clive Davis was a visionary. He could hear the intangible before anyone else could see it. He believed in Santana from the beginning, and years later he believed in us again. That kind of faith is a beautiful blessing, and I will always be grateful.

“Clive understood that music is more than entertainment. Music is a healing force. It brings people together beyond fear, beyond separation, beyond borders. He dedicated his life to championing artists and helping them share their gifts with the world.

“Clive recognized the light in people. He encouraged artists to trust their own voice and step into their destiny. Because of his vision, countless musicians were able to reach hearts across the planet.

“I thank Clive for his friendship, his trust, and his belief in Santana. We celebrate his extraordinary journey and the legacy of joy, inspiration, and possibility that he leaves behind.

“We send our deepest love and blessings to his family and to all who were touched by his life.”

From Billy Joel, whose success began after Davis’ abrupt departure from Columbia. “Clive Davis convinced me to sign with Columbia Records many years ago. He recognized the talent of great musicians and understood the power of contemporary music.

“I will always be grateful to Clive for his recognition of the critical importance of songwriting.”

In 2008, Davis was appointed Chief Creative Officer for all of Sony Music Entertainment. In 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Davis to book the performers for the “We ♥ NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” on the Great Lawn in Central Park, when the city “reopened” following the pandemic. Not surprisingly, Davis chose many acts that he had longstanding relationships with: Springsteen, Paul Simon, Santana, Earth, Wind and Fire, Manilow and others.

Davis’ autobiography is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.

Related: Musician deaths of 2026