Clive Davis, a music industry mogul who launched or resurrected the careers of Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys, has died. He was 94.
Davis died in his Manhattan apartment, weeks after being hospitalised for an upper respiratory issue, his publicist Aliza Rabinoff said.
Davis' family said he "shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history".
"We celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness," they said on Instagram.
Carlos Santana called him "a visionary," while Patti Smith thanked him for a half century of "love and support".
Davis' influence grew since the 1960s to span genres and labels as he directed the careers of everyone from Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind and Fire, Neil Diamond, Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston to American Idol winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.
