In his decadeslong career in the music industry, legendary record executive Clive Davis, who died Monday at age 94, worked with dozens upon dozens of major artists. Some of them have taken to Instagram to pay tribute to him.
Clive signed Barry Manilow to his record label Arista Records and gave him his first #1 hit, “Mandy.” Barry wrote on X, “My heart is heavy with the loss of my friend Clive Davis. For fifty years we worked together, created together, argued together, and celebrated together. Yes, some would say it was business. But to Clive, it never was. It was family. And I was honored to be a part of his. Thank you Clive. I wish we could do it all again.”
Bruce 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.”
Clive helped revitalize Rod Stewart’s career by signing him to his record label J Records and encouraging him to release The Great American Songbook series of albums. Rod wrote on Instagram, “Lost for words! A day I’ve been dreading! A giant of a man in the music business. I owe Clive so much. … [H]e was the only one who believed a rock singer could sing the standards with conviction.”
“Other labels rejected the idea, and so The Great American Songbook was born, selling close to 40 million copies,” Rod continued. “We had some wonderful, unforgettable times together, but for now, Mr. Davis, it’s goodbye, my dear friend.”
Clive also rebooted Santana’s career with the all-star collaborations album Supernatural and its world-beating smash hit “Smooth.” Rob Thomas, who co-wrote the song and sang on it, wrote on Instagram, “For the last 27 years Clive Davis has been a friend and mentor to me. We started our working relationship when we released Smooth and continued on.” Rob added, “There are still a lot of good people in the music industry but with him goes the end of an era.”
Carlos Santana said in a statement, “Clive understood that music is more than entertainment. Music is a healing force. It brings people together beyond fear, beyond separation, beyond borders. He dedicated his life to championing artists and helping them share their gifts with the world.”
Others who paid tribute include Diane Warren, Josh Groban and Michael Buble.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
