Music industry titan Clive Davis, who turned artists into stars across genres, dies at 94

Transcript

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Nick Schifrin: And the music industry lost a titan today. Clive Davis nurtured artists across nearly every major genre for more than half-a-century. It was once said Clive Davis lived for 3.5 minutes of magic.

From the debuts of Whitney Houston to Alicia Keys, he shaped and signed superstars, Bruce Springsteen, name-dropped by Aerosmith. Davis was himself a star, an unparalleled hitmaker. He rocketed to the top of the industry and stayed there for almost 70 years. Davis grew up in Brooklyn the son of a traveling tie salesman.

Clive Davis, Record Producer: Never knew I had ears. Never knew that I could hear a hit record, never knew that I could discover an artist. But this is one of the lucky breaks that occur in life.

Nick Schifrin: He got a scholarship to Harvard to become a lawyer and started in Columbia Records’ legal department at the age of 28. He rose to become its president thanks to his — quote — “golden ear” and struck gold, embracing the rock ‘n’ roll revolution, signing artists including Janis Joplin.

Clive Davis: I mean, it really raised the hair on your arms and sent those proverbial tingles up your spine. But there are epiphanies that can happen in life that change you. And this was an epiphany for me.

Nick Schifrin: His career changed throughout, and at times he became a lightning rod. In the 1970s, Columbia Records fired him and accused him of stealing money. He was charged on a number of counts and indicted on tax evasion. He also clashed with some of his artists, but he always said his focus was the songs.

Across genres and decades, he once said: “I don’t look for hit records. I look for stars,” Billy Joel, revitalizing the career of Aretha Franklin, and embracing hip-hop and R&B.

Clive Davis: This was a golden era for the music industry. It was certainly a golden era for me.

Nick Schifrin: A music titan who helped provide the soundtrack of so many people’s lives, Clive Davis was 94 years old.