Clive Davis, the record executive who shaped the careers of some of the most recognized names in American music, died Monday at the age of 94, according to Billboard.
Davis joined CBS subsidiary Columbia Records in 1960 as an assistant counsel, hired at age 28 by Harvey Schein. Within a year he was named general counsel. By 1967 he was president of CBS Records.
That same year, he attended the Monterey International Pop Festival and signed Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. It was an early sign of what would become a career-long ability to identify talent before the rest of the industry caught up.
Over the following decades, Davis signed and mentored an extraordinary range of artists including Aerosmith, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Carlos Santana, Aretha Franklin, and Dionne Warwick. He launched Arista Records, which brought Houston and Manilow to prominence, and later founded J Records, the label responsible for breaking Alicia Keys.
His 66 years in the business produced four competitive Grammys and the Recording Academy's Trustees Award, one of the organization's most prestigious honors.
His reach extended into decisions that might seem small but carried lasting weight. In 1970, Davis suggested that Lynn Anderson release the song "Rose Garden" as a single ahead of her album of the same name. The song reached number one on the country charts and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The album became the biggest-selling release by a female country artist for 27 years.
The Davis family released a statement following his death.
"To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives," the family said. "He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations."
Davis graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956. He rose from a single entry-level legal position to chief creative officer at Sony Music. His annual pre-Grammy gala, which reached its 50th anniversary earlier this year, became one of the most sought-after invitations in the music business.
