CLIVE DAVIS, MUSIC EXECUTIVE WHO FOUNDED ARISTA RECORDS, DIES AT 94

Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records and J Records, has died at the age of 94. Davis died at his home in New York City on Monday from age-related illness, according to his representative Aliza Rabinoff. He was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time of his death. Davis had experienced several health difficulties in recent years, including hospitalisation in May for an upper respiratory issue and a diagnosis of Bell's Palsy in 2021.

Davis shaped the careers of numerous major recording artists across decades in the music industry. Among those he worked with were Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood. His final public appearance occurred in May 2026, when he attended The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction in New York. Songwriter Diane Warren posted a tribute on Instagram, stating that Davis "never stopped believing" in her and that countless artists and songwriters owed their careers to him.

Davis's influence extended across multiple decades of popular music and shaped the direction of the recording industry through his executive decisions and artist development. His work with Arista Records and J Records established him as a significant figure in determining which artists reached mainstream success. The music industry marked his passing as the end of an era for artist discovery and development in the modern recording era.