Clive Davis, music mogul who launched Whitney Houston and Diddy, dead at 94
Clive Davis' cause of death has not yet been disclosed, though he was briefly hospitalised in May
Published June 22, 2026
Music industry titan Clive Davis, who helped launch the careers of Whitney Houston, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Kelly Clarkson, and more, has died at the age of 94.
Davis’ family confirmed to The New York Times that the legendary record executive passed away on Monday, June 22, at his Manhattan home.
A cause of death has not been disclosed.
His passing comes weeks after he was briefly hospitalised in New York City with a reported upper respiratory infection. At the time, he was expected to make a quick recovery.
Davis rose through the ranks of the music business in the 1960s before becoming president of Columbia Records at just 35 years old. After attending the famed Monterey Pop Festival, he signed Janis Joplin and her band, marking one of the first major artist discoveries of his career.
He later founded Arista Records in 1974 and eventually launched J Records in 2000. Along the way, he helped oversee iconic hits including Greatest Love of All, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Piano Man, Smooth, Fallin' and Since U Been Gone.
Beyond the charts, Davis became famous for his annual pre-Grammy parties, which attracted music royalty from Paul McCartney to Aretha Franklin.
He remained Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment until his death, capping a career that helped define popular music for more than six decades.
