Music Executive Clive Davis Dies at 94

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive who discovered and shaped the careers of artists from Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, died on Monday, June 22, 2026, at his home in Manhattan. He was 94. His family confirmed his death, stating he passed away peacefully from age-related illness, surrounded by loved ones. He had recently been hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection.

Davis’s influence spanned more than six decades and multiple genres, earning him the nickname “the man with the golden ears.” He began his career in the legal department of Columbia Records in 1960 and rose to become the label’s president by 1967. His attendance at the Monterey Pop Festival that year proved transformative. Witnessing Janis Joplin perform, he signed her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and aggressively moved the traditionally conservative Columbia into the rock era. Under his leadership, the label signed a defining roster including Santana, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Bruce Springsteen.

In 1973, Davis was fired from Columbia amid allegations of misusing corporate funds. He pleaded guilty to one count of...