Clive Davis dies at 94 after shaping generations of music stars
Why it matters: The longtime Columbia and Arista executive helped launch or revive careers from Whitney Houston to Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin.
Clive Davis, the record executive who helped shape modern pop and rock across more than six decades, has died at 94. His family said Davis had recently been hospitalized with respiratory problems and died at home in Manhattan, New York. Davis rose from Columbia Records' legal department to become the label's president, then later led Arista Records, building a reputation for spotting and developing major talent. Over his career, he signed or guided artists including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Santana, Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys. Springsteen called him “the great record man” and said signing with Davis at 22 changed his life.