Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey have paid heartfelt tributes to legendary producer, Clive Davis.
On Monday, a representative for the music mogul announced that he had “passed away peacefully from age-related illness” at his home in Manhattan, New York. He was 94.
Following the sad news, Keys reflected on her connection with Davis, who signed her to Arista Records in 1998.
“To Clive Davis, the visionary who transformed dreams into reality, leaving an indelible mark on music and lives worldwide,” she declared.
For her tribute, Carey posted a photo of herself and Davis via Instagram Stories.
“Rest in peace to the legendary Clive Davis, a titan of the industry and a true champion of great music,” the Believe hitmaker stated.
Elsewhere, Jennifer Hudson emphasised that Davis’s “impact and legacy will always live on”, while Gladys Knight insisted “there will never be another Clive”.
Dionne Warwick recalled how the Grammy Award-winning producer “made each moment count”.
“I am truly going to miss him,” the 85-year-old noted. “He always wanted to know, ‘Where’s my Dionne?’ I referred to him as the brown shoe, white sock record executive. I can think of no other record man that seemed to have that magical ability to know a hit when he heard a song.”
In addition, Michael Bublé credited Davis with helping him go mainstream and for being a “champion of artists”, while prolific songwriter Diane Warren emphasised that “countless artists and songwriters owe everything to you” in a poignant post.
And in an emotional message, Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas recalled how Davis served as a mentor to him after he recorded Smooth with Carlos Santana back in 1999.
“From that point on, every solo album I made, Clive was one of the first people to hear it. Sometimes he would send messages to my record label encouraging them to make sure they did all they could to work my records,” he recounted. “There are so many wonderful experiences I’ve had in my career that only happened because of that friendship… There are still a lot of good people in the music industry but with him goes the end of an era. Clive, you will be missed but your legacy is immortal.”
Davis is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
