Biography for
Clive Davis (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 April 1932, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name

Clive Jay Davis

Nickname

The Man with the Golden Ears

Mini Biography

Clive Davis was born in Brooklyn, New York. He entered Harvard Law School on a full scholarship and graduated in 1956. Four years later, he arrived at Columbia Records as an attorney. In 1965, he was promoted to administrative vice-president of the label, became vice-president and general manager a year later, and in 1967 became the label's president. In this capacity he pushed the company full speed ahead into rock music, with artists such as Janis Joplin and Carlos Santana leading the pack. He guided Columbia to tremendous success until 1973, when he was fired after being accused of tax evasion and misusing company funds. In 1974, he took over the record division of Columbia Pictures and launched his own label, Arista, famous for such acts as Barry Manilow and Whitney Houston. Davis was forced out of Arista by parent company BMG in 2000, but not long thereafter started a new label, J, to be distributed by BMG.

IMDb Mini Biography By: W.B.

Trivia

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 (under the category Non-Performer).

Signed Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Chicago, Billy Joel, Blood Sweat & Tears and Bruce Springsteen.

After a government investigation of the record industry, he was fired as president of CBS Records amid charges of financial irregularities and using company expenses for personal use.

Founder of Arista Records.

Chief Creative Officer at Sony BMG. [2008]

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1501 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Personal Quotes

[on Whitney Houston] You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime.You way for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that, for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, well, it takes your breath away.

Where Are They Now

(May 2004) Served as a guest judge on the American Idol panel along with Simon, Paula, and Randy for the May 18th show.