Home > Clive Davis

He was a working class Jewish boy who grew up in Brooklyn, New York and received a scholarship to Harvard Law School. He graduated and practiced law in a small firm which folded, then moved on to the firm of Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek and Freund, which had CBS Records as a client. He was then hired by the legal department of CBS subsidiary Columbia Records.

He discovered a passion for music which led him up the ranks of Columbia and CBS. In 1967, he became president of CBS Records; at almost the same time, he became a convert to the newest generation of folk rock and rock and roll. That year he attended the Monterey Pop Festival and was inspired by what he saw as the future of music. He immediately signed Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company, and went on to sign Electric Flag , Santana, Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter, nicknamed "The Boss". He frequently recorded with The E-Street Band . Early years Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born September 23, 1949 in Freehold, New Jersey., ChicagoChicago is a rock band that formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. Well known for being one of the first (and, indeed, one of the few) rock bands to make extensive use of horns and for producing a number of hit ballads, Chicago had a steady stream of hits t, Billy JoelRock and Roll artists alive, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949), better known as Billy Joel is a pianist, singer and songwriter. He was married to famous supermodel Christie Brinkley from 198, Blood, Sweat & TearsBlood, Sweat & Tears was an American rock and roll group formed in New York City in 1967. Al Kooper, Jim Fielder, Fred Lipsius, Randy Brecker, Jerry Weiss, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz and Bobby Colomby formed the original incarnation of the band, which was, and Pink FloydPink Floyd is a British psychedelic rock band famous for its songwriting, harmonic classical rock compositions, bombastic style and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd is one of rock's most successful acts, ranking seventh in number of albums sold worldwide.. The company, which had previously avoided rock music, doubled its market share in three years.

Amid government investigations of financial irregularities in the record industry, CBS, nervous about losing its licenses, fired Davis amid charges that he had used company money for personal expenses — allegations he still denies.

In 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped, he founded Arista Records, naming it after his secondary school honor society. This label has one of the most diverse lineups in the record industry. It has been home to Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, The Grateful Dead, Exposé, Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Kenny G, Puffy Combs, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Ace of Base, TLC, and Patti Smith.

On January 28, 1997 Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2000, Davis ran into disagreements with new Arista owners BMG (a member of the Bertelsmann group) over the way he ran the label. Reports point to his age (late sixties at the time), lack of a succession plan, and free-spending habits as points of contention. As part of the deal to oust him, Davis was allowed to take some of his most successful artists ( Luther Vandross and Alicia Keys, for example) as he founded yet another independent record label, J Records . Bertelsmann even invested $150 million in the company. That same year, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performers branch.

Three years later, at the beginning of 2003, BMG wooed Davis back into the fold, naming him head of RCA Records. The following year in 2004, Davis was promoted to Chairman and CEO of BMG North America.