Sema Fonkem 25 June 2026

American record executive and A&R executive, Clive Jay Davis passed on at the age of 94 on 22 June, 2026. He died in front of family members just weeks after being hospitalised for an upper respiratory tract infection.

Davis has five Grammy Awards and he was the legendary music mogul, responsible for shepherding the careers of superstars like Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Janis Joplin, and Barry Manilow during his 60-year career in the industry.

Everything Davis touched in the music industry turned to gold. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the year 2000.

Despite being hailed as a genius by many in the entertainment business, Davis has come under fire for his association with music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and the tragic death of Whitney Houston.

Aside from his multiple accomplishments, podcasters such as Sabrina Salvati have accused Davis of being a pro-Israeli who has both benefited from and badly influenced Black American culture.

In 1973, Davis was fired from Columbia Records over corporate fund misuse. He was also accused of tax evasion and for being the mastermind behind exploitative contracts that his label signed with artists, such as the TLC trio that faced serious financial hardship while with Arista.

Before his death, Davis always refuted allegations of wrongdoing stemming from his affiliation with Diddy.