Music industry titan Clive Davis has died aged 94, bringing to an end one of the most influential careers in the history of popular music.
Over a career spanning more than six decades, Davis helped shape the modern music business and played a pivotal role in launching or developing the careers of some of the world's biggest artists, including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow, Santana, Janis Joplin and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Clive Davis and Whitney Houston. S Bukley, Shutterstock
The American record executive was widely regarded as one of the most successful talent spotters the industry has ever seen. His impact on music was such that Aretha Franklin once described him as "the greatest record man of all time."
Tributes have poured in following news of his death, with Bruce Springsteen remembering the man who signed him to Columbia Records when he was a struggling young musician.
"Over here on E Street, we mourn the death of the great record man and close friend Clive Davis," Springsteen wrote on Instagram.
"At 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records. He treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success. A great man. All our prayers and love."
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Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1932, Davis initially trained as a lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law School. His entry into the music industry came almost by chance when he joined Columbia Records as legal counsel before moving into management.
In 1966, he became president of CBS Records and quickly established a reputation for spotting talent and recognising trends before anyone else. One of his earliest landmark decisions came after attending the legendary Monterey Pop Festival, where he signed Janis Joplin after witnessing her electrifying performance.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Davis worked with artists including Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Miles Davis and Bruce Springsteen, helping shape some of the era's most influential recordings.
Barry Manilow and Clive Davis. Ron Adar, Shutterstock
After leaving CBS Records in the 1970s, Davis founded Arista Records, where he continued his extraordinary run of success. The label became home to stars including Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Lou Reed and Aretha Franklin.
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However, it was his relationship with Whitney Houston that became one of the defining partnerships of his career. Davis discovered Houston as a teenager and helped guide her rise to global superstardom. She would go on to become one of the best-selling artists in music history.
Houston's death in 2012 was one of the greatest personal losses of Davis's life. He later described it as a tragedy that profoundly affected him and reminded him how suddenly loved ones can disappear.
Even as the music industry underwent dramatic changes through the rise of digital downloads and streaming, Davis remained a major force.
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He later served as Chief Creative Officer at Sony Music Entertainment and continued to mentor artists well into his nineties.
Jane Fonda, Clive Davis and Jennifer Hudson arrive at the Clive Davis & The Recording Academy annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Jan 25 2014. Photo Works, Shutterstock
Beyond his work in music, Davis became known for his lavish annual pre-Grammy gala, widely regarded as one of the most exclusive events in the entertainment calendar.
The gathering attracted generations of performers, executives and industry figures and became a symbol of Davis's enduring influence.
Over the course of his career, Davis received numerous honours, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He won multiple Grammy Awards and earned a reputation as one of the most powerful and respected figures in the recording industry.
His legacy can be heard in countless hit records and in the careers of artists whose lives he transformed.
For many in the music world, Clive Davis was more than a record executive. He was a mentor, a visionary and one of the architects of modern popular music.
