Clive Davis, Legendary Music Mogul Who Discovered Whitney Houston, Dead at 94
Iconic music producer Clive Davis has died. He was 94.
The news of his death was confirmed by his family to the New York Times on Monday. Although his cause of death hasn't been revealed, he was hospitalized in May for "an upper respiratory infection and out of an abundance of caution," but was expected to make a full recovery.
Davis, was known for working with a young Aretha Franklin and discovering Whitney Houston, among many other artists that became icons of music history. His eye for musicians spanned genres as he bolstered the careers and fame of Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, and later artists like Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson, per the Times.
"We're good partners, we make a good team because we both love music," Houston said in an MTV interview. "I'm talking about music...with great melodies, standards that will last a lifetime through people."
When asked by Billboard this year to name a favorite Houston song, he instead talked about the thrill of her success on the charts, not being able to pick just one. As for her 1987 hit, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," he told the outlet that he was "surprised and gratified" when it hit No. 1.
A staple of the music industry himself, he also became known to throw legendary parties ahead of every Grammy Awards.
The life of Davis, which started in music law, was profiled in a 2017 documentary 'Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives.' He was also depicted by Stanley Tucci in Houston biopic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" in 2022.
He was a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn in 1932. Davis was married twice and is a father of four.
While his personal life largely stayed behind the scenes while he was churning out hits including Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Santana's "Smooth," he came out as bisexual in 2013.
"After my second marriage failed…I just found that I would open myself up to the possibility of a relationship based on the person and not on gender," he said during an appearance at New York's 92nd Street Y. "It was frankly intimidating in the sense that the adage is true…nobody believes in it. You're either gay or straight or you're lying. You get tired of not making any progress."
As for who he may have had his eye on to work with in 2026, he told Billboard that Olivia Dean and Alex Warren came to mind.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 9:08 AM.