US singer-songwriter Alicia Keys said Clive Davis “changed my life forever” in a heartfelt tribute to the award-winning producer who has died aged 94.
The Girl On Fire singer, 45, praised Davis for believing in her from the “very beginning” after signing her to his record label when she was 18 years old.
In a post shared on Tuesday, Keys paid tribute to the media executive who helped carve her career with the star winning 17 Grammy awards and score a string of top 10 singles in the UK including Empire State Of Mind, No One, and Fallin’.
She said: “Clive Davis changed my life forever.
“He believed in me from the very beginning, when I was just 18 years old, and very few saw what I was capable of! He has stood beside me through every chapter that followed. Not just in that fake industry way but in a way that was full of love for how unlimited I could be!
“He called me a renaissance woman! It’s one of my favourite descriptions. It reminds me to be boundless.”
She went on to describe how his impact went beyond just music but in the ways he championed artists, bringing their dreams to life.
She added: “If he didn’t see in me the glimmer of what was to become, you and I may have never known each other and be on this deep musical journey.
“We will celebrate your extraordinary life, legacy, and heart today and always. You will be missed beyond words but I am so grateful to have had you for as long as I did.”
Davis’s family said on Monday that the media executive died.
Tributes have poured in for the former president of Columbia Records who was known for launching a number of artists’ careers including Whitney Houston, Patti Smith, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
It comes just weeks after the record producer was reportedly taken to hospital after an upper respiratory issue and discharged a few days later. He was also diagnosed in 2021 with the neurological condition Bell’s palsy.
Joel, known for Vienna and Piano Man, said in a statement: “He recognised the talent of great musicians and understood the power of contemporary music.
“I will always be grateful to Clive for his recognition of the critical importance of songwriting.”
Born In The USA singer Springsteen said Davis changed his life.
In a post on Instagram he said: “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.”
Smith posted a carousel of photographs featuring them together and a photograph of a bouquet of flowers wishing her the best for one of her events.
She said: “This is thanking Clive 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.”
Davis became president of Columbia Records in 1967, and signed a number of artists including Aerosmith and Earth, Wind & Fire as well as Neil Diamond and Pink Floyd.
He also played a key role in launching the careers of musicians across R&B, country, and pop, and worked with Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Miles Davis.
He left Columbia Records in 1973 and started his own label, Arista Records, kicking off the first few months with Barry Manilow’s hit song Mandy.
Manilow said his heart was “heavy with the loss of his friend Clive Davis” while guitarist Carlos Santana, who founded the rock group Santana, described Davis as a “visionary” who believed in the band “from the beginning”.
“Clive understood that music is more than entertainment. 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,” he added.
Davis signed Houston when she was a teenager and made her one of the top-selling artists in pop history, with hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody, How Will I Know, and her cover of I Will Always Love You.
They became close friends up until her death in 2012.
Davis was portrayed by The Devil Wears Prada star Stanley Tucci in the 2022 musical biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
He went on to work with a number of veteran artists and groups including Aretha Franklin, The Kinks and Eurythmics and in 2000 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His family announced the news in a post on his Instagram account on Monday and paid a heartfelt tribute to the family man and “music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives.”
