History of Clive Davis in Timeline
Clive Davis is a highly influential American record producer and executive, renowned for his A&R expertise. A lawyer by training, he transitioned into the music industry, achieving considerable success. Davis has been honored with five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, recognizing his significant contributions as a non-performer.
April 4, 1932: Clive Davis's Birth
On April 4, 1932, Clive Jay Davis was born. He would later become a prominent American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer.
1953: Graduation from New York University
In 1953, Clive Davis graduated magna cum laude with a degree in political science and Phi Beta Kappa from New York University College of Arts & Science.
1956: Graduation from Harvard Law School
In 1956, Clive Davis graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Board of Student Advisers.
1962: Birth of Daughter Lauren
In 1962, Clive Davis's daughter Lauren was born.
1965: Divorce from Helen Cohen and Marriage to Janet Adelberg
In 1965, Clive Davis divorced Helen Cohen and married Janet Adelberg.
1965: Appointment as Administrative Vice President
In 1965, Goddard Lieberson appointed Clive Davis as administrative vice president and general manager as part of a reorganization of Columbia Records Group.
1966: Head of CBS Records
In 1966, CBS formed the Columbia-CBS Group and reorganized its recorded music operations into CBS Records, with Clive Davis heading the new unit.
June 1967: Attendance at Monterey Pop Festival and Signing Janis Joplin
In June 1967, Clive Davis attended the Monterey Pop Festival and subsequently signed Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company.
1967: President of Columbia Records
In 1967, Clive Davis became the president of Columbia Records.
1967: Hiring Tony Orlando
In 1967, Clive Davis is credited with hiring a young recording artist, Tony Orlando, for Columbia.
1969: Tony Orlando signs Barry Manilow
In 1969, Tony Orlando, who was hired by Clive Davis, signed Barry Manilow while acting as Vice President of Columbia/CBS Music.
1970: Birth of Son Mitchell
In 1970, Clive Davis's son Mitchell was born.
1970: Release of Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden"
In late 1970, Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden" was released during Clive Davis's tenure at Columbia. Davis insisted that "Rose Garden" be the country singer's next single release, and the song became a No. 1 hit in 16 countries.
July 5, 1973: Firing from CBS
On July 5, 1973, Clive Davis was fired from CBS "amid allegations of misuse of funds and providing drugs to artists and disk jockeys" as part of an alleged payola scandal.
1973: Firing from CBS Records
In 1973, Clive Davis was fired from CBS Records for allegedly using company funds improperly. He was then hired as a consultant for Bell Records.
1973: End of Presidency at Columbia Records
In 1973, Clive Davis's tenure as president of Columbia Records came to an end.
1974: Founding of Arista Records
In 1974, Clive Davis founded Arista Records, named after New York City's secondary school honor society of which he was a member.
1974: Founder and President of Arista Records
In 1974, Clive Davis founded and became the president of Arista Records.
December 30, 1978: Lyric Change in "Jack Straw" by Bob Weir
Starting on December 30, 1978, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead occasionally changed the lyrics of the Dead standard "Jack Straw" in concert from "we used to play for silver, now we play for life", to "we used to play for acid, now we play for Clive."
1979: Reference in Aerosmith song "No Surprize"
In 1979, the Aerosmith song "No Surprize" mentioned Clive Davis's signing of the band to Columbia Records in the early 1970s.
1985: Divorce from Janet Adelberg
In 1985, Clive Davis divorced Janet Adelberg.
1987: First-look agreement with TriStar Pictures
In 1987, Clive Davis Entertainment, Davis' production company, established a two-year first-look agreement with movie studio TriStar Pictures.
1989: Co-founding Arista Nashville
In 1989, Clive Davis co-founded Arista Nashville with Tim DuBois.
1991: CBS Records Renamed Sony Music Entertainment
1999: LFO Charts with "Summer Girls"
In 1999, LFO charted #3 with "Summer Girls" and went on to multiplatinum success.
2000: Departure from Arista Records
In 2000, Clive Davis departed from Arista Records.
2000: Start of J Records
In 2000, Clive Davis left Arista and started J Records, an independent label with financial backing from Arista parent Bertelsmann Music Group.
2000: Grammy Trustees Award
In 2000, Clive Davis received the Grammy Trustees Award.
2000: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Receipt of Golden Plate Award
In 2000, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
2000: Induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2000, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer.
2001: Named "World's No.1 A&R of 2001"
In 2001, Clive Davis was recognized by HitQuarters as the "world's No.1 A&R of 2001" based on worldwide chart data.
2002: BMG Buys Majority Stake in J Records
In 2002, BMG bought a majority stake in J Records, and Clive Davis became president and CEO of the larger RCA Music Group.
2002: Chair and CEO of RCA Music Group
In 2002, Clive Davis became the chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group.
April 2008: End of Tenure as chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group
In April 2008, Clive Davis ended his tenure as chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group.
2008: Named Chief Creative Officer for Sony BMG
In 2008, Clive Davis remained with RCA Label Group until being named chief creative officer for Sony BMG.
2008: Elevation to Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment
In late 2008, Clive Davis was elevated to Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment as part of a corporate restructuring when Sony BMG became Sony Music Entertainment.
2009: President's Merit Award at the Grammys
In 2009, Clive Davis received the President's Merit Award at the Grammys.
October 2011: Dissolution of Arista Records and J Records
In October 2011, Arista Records and J Records, both founded by Davis, were dissolved through the restructuring of RCA Records.
2011: Naming of "Clive Davis Theater" at the Grammy Museum
In 2011, the 200-seat theater at the Grammy Museum was named the "Clive Davis Theater".
2013: Coming Out as Bisexual
In 2013, at the age of 80, Clive Davis publicly came out as bisexual in his autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life.
2015: Recognition by Equality Forum
In 2015, Clive Davis was recognized by Equality Forum as one of the 31 Icons of the LGBT History Month.
2018: Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment
As of 2018, Clive Davis holds the position of chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
2018: Honoree at The New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala
In 2018, Clive Davis was an honoree at The New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala.
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