Legendary music mogul Clive Davis has been hospitalized in New York City, sending a jolt through the entertainment world just days after he was seen rubbing shoulders with stars at a glittering Manhattan event.
The 94-year-old record executive was taken to the hospital Friday with an upper respiratory infection, according to TMZ.
A spokesperson told the outlet that the hospitalization was done as an extra precaution and that Davis is expected to be released within 24 hours.
The scare came shortly after Davis attended the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction in New York City, where he was photographed with Alicia Keys on May 19.
At the star-studded event, Davis sat near Keys, Chance the Rapper and Swizz Beatz, looking every bit the music industry titan he has been for more than half a century.
Davis is one of the most powerful and respected figures in modern music history. Over his decades-long career, he helped shape the careers of Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith and many more.
He is the former president of Columbia Records and currently serves as chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
Born in Brooklyn in April 1932, Davis studied political science at New York University before graduating from Harvard Law School in 1956.
His unlikely path into the music business began in the 1960s, when he became general counsel of Columbia Records. By 1966, he had been named vice president and general manager. Just one year later, he became president of the label.
That role changed music history.
In 1967, Davis attended the Monterey Pop Festival and saw Janis Joplin perform with Big Brother and the Holding Company. He later signed the band and began building a rock and folk roster that would help define a generation.
Davis later recalled that watching Joplin perform taught him to trust his instincts.
“Watching Janis that day, I realized that I’ve got to move on my instinct, my intuition,” he once told The Talks. “Every artist that I’ve signed since has had an impact.”
And he wasn’t exaggerating.
During his Columbia years, Davis worked with or helped advance the careers of Simon & Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, Andy Williams, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Santana, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith and Earth, Wind and Fire.
After leaving Columbia, Davis launched Arista Records in 1974.
That label became another powerhouse, helping launch or elevate the careers of Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, The Grateful Dead, Eurythmics, Kenny G, Air Supply, Westlife and Alicia Keys.
His partnership with Houston became one of the most famous artist-executive relationships in pop music history. Davis helped guide Houston from a young powerhouse singer into one of the greatest voices of all time.
He later won a Grammy for Album of the Year as a producer on The Bodyguard soundtrack, which was powered by Houston’s unforgettable voice.
Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a non-performer, cementing his place as one of the industry’s most influential behind-the-scenes forces.
That same year, he left Arista and founded J Records. The label’s roster included Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox, Busta Rhymes, Jamie Foxx, Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson, Kesha, Rod Stewart and Pearl Jam.
Davis also had a hand in launching LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and Babyface in 1989, which became home to stars including TLC, Usher, Pink and Toni Braxton.
In the 1990s, he also founded Bad Boy Records with Sean “Diddy” Combs, a label that helped bring artists including The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Mase into the mainstream.
Over the years, Davis has won four Grammy Awards as a producer and remained a regular presence at music’s biggest events, including his famous annual pre-Grammy gala.
In 2021, Davis was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a condition that causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face. The diagnosis forced him to postpone his annual pre-Grammy event, though a representative said at the time that he was in good spirits.
Even in his 90s, Davis has continued to stay active in the industry and keep up with younger artists.
Earlier this year, he told Variety that he still listens to new music because he enjoys it and wants to remain informed.
“I like feeling informed, so that when I meet the new artists or we spend time together, they’re not talking to yesterday’s maven,” he said.
He also recalled recently spending a weekend with Alicia Keys in Miami, where she brought her two sons along for the visit.
But Davis said their conversations were not just about the past.
“It’s not just reminiscence,” he explained. “It’s to be able to appraise with her where music is today and where it’s going and how it’s changing.”
Davis has long spoken about music as something essential to everyday life.
“Music is a necessary ingredient in people’s lives,” he told The Talks.
He added that no matter how much technology changes, music will never disappear.
“People need music,” Davis said.
Now, fans and industry insiders are watching closely after the legendary hitmaker’s brief hospitalization.
For now, his team says the hospital visit was only precautionary, and the man who helped create the soundtrack of generations is expected to be home soon.