Controversial, ruthless and staggeringly successful, Clive Davis, who has died aged 94, was the most complete specimen of the old-school record industry mogul. Where his competitors might have enjoyed one or two periods of power and influence, Davis kept bouncing back over decades with fresh projects and new approaches to the music business. Though temporarily floored by financial scandals during the 1970s, Davis refused to be beaten and never lost his gift for creating chart-busting artists.
Above all, it was Davis’s discovery and promotion of Whitney Houston that cemented his reputation as a man with an almost supernatural gift for talent-spotting. Her 1985 debut album was the result of Davis’s careful nurturing and planning, and became what was then the bestselling debut by any female artist. She went on to enjoy colossal international success, and was credited with opening doors for many African-American artists.
