Clive Davis at the 2026 Pre-Grammy Gala Salute to Industry Icons, honoring Avery and Monte Lipman, in January. Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Bruce Springsteen, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith and Carlos Santana are among the music luminaries mourning the death of mogul Clive Davis, who died Monday at the age of 94.
Springsteen, who Davis signed to Columbia when the Boss was just 22, with Davis later urging him to be a more dynamic live performer, said the mogul “changed my life.”
“Over here on E Street, we mourn the death of the great record man and close friend Clive Davis. At 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records,” Springsteen wrote on Instagram. “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.”
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Manilow said his “heart is heavy with the loss” of his friend.
“For 50 years we worked together, created together, argued together and celebrated together,” Manilow said of Davis in a statement. “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.”
Smith thanked Davis, “for transforming music, and on a very personal note, for believing in me, shepherding my efforts and a half century of your love and support.”
Carlos Santana shared a lengthy tribute in which he called Davis a “visionary.”
“He could hear the intangible before anyone else could see it. He believed in Santana from the beginning, and years later he believed in us again. That kind of faith is a beautiful blessing, and I will always be grateful,” Santana wrote of Davis.
“Clive understood that music is more than entertainment,” Santana wrote. “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. Clive recognized the light in people. He encouraged artists to trust their own voice and step into their destiny. Because of his vision, countless musicians were able to reach hearts across the planet. I thank Clive for his friendship, his trust and his belief in Santana. We celebrate his extraordinary journey and the legacy of joy, inspiration and possibility that he leaves behind. We send our deepest love and blessings to his family and to all who were touched by his life.”
The day after Father’s Day, Diane Warren wrote that Davis’ death “feels like losing my father.”
“You were always family to me. It was my Dad who believed in me in the very beginning, it was you who never stopped believing in me,” the Oscar-nominated songwriter said on Instagram. “By having so many of your artists record my songs, even the ones who didn’t want to. And there were a few of those. I loved to play You songs and watch the look on your face when a song moved You. You really loved songs. And truly appreciated songwriters. You didnt look at fucking numbers and data, the only data that mattered to You was how it made you feel. Countless artists and songwriters owe everything to You. I am one of them. Without You I would never have the career I have. I know that. I will always cherish our friendship. No one will ever come close to what You have achieved. No one. Ever. Rest easy my dear friend, im sure there will be great voices to discover waiting for You in Heaven. I love You and I’m everything I an because you loved me. Thank You for that.”
Davis, a hands-on hitmaker known for his “golden ear” ability to identify talent, died at his home in Manhattan after he was recently hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection.
Across his six-decade career, including serving as chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment and former head of labels Columbia, Arista and J Records, Davis won five Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to his work with Springsteen, Manilow, Smith and Santana, Davis worked with Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Rod Stewart and Aretha Franklin.
Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley wrote that Davis’ death marked the loss of “the visionary and champion of so many artists in so many genres. A one of a kind genius. My condolences to his entire family.”
In addition to his achievements in the music industry, Davis was known for hosting an A-list party the Saturday night before the Grammys, which Magic Johnson noted in his tribute to his “good friend.”
“His Grammy parties will always be a core memory for [me and wife Cookie], and we’ll cherish all the great times we shared together,” Johnson wrote in part of Davis. “We’re going to miss him deeply and are praying for his entire family during this time.”
Meanwhile Geraldo Rivera remembered Davis as a “true gentleman with an impeccable taste in music.”
“A huge talent and a gracious man,” Rivera added of Davis. “He was an icon who will be sorely missed. RIP the ear who heard and celebrated Whitney Houston.”
Read on to see what else Hollywood is saying about Davis.
Cookie and I were saddened to hear about the passing of our good friend Clive Davis, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, visionary, and the man behind some of the greatest voices of our generation. Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Janis Joplin,…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 22, 2026
RIP Clive Davis@VerdineWhite pic.twitter.com/Io7Hfu88Mb
— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) June 22, 2026
An incomparable pillar of the music community, NYC born and raised Clive Davis raised the bar in the industry as a producer and music executive for more than 60 years. He will be greatly missed. https://t.co/i4rGzVPWYm
— NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment (@MadeinNY) June 22, 2026
RIP Clive Davis, 94. Music industry titan who worked with so many greats including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and Billy Joel. Clive was a charming, brilliant man whose annual Grammys party was the stuff of legend. Loved interviewing him.Very sad news.🙏 pic.twitter.com/ZEdSm6Ml9A
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 22, 2026
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