The 94-year-old executive was hospitalized in New York City
Clive Davis has been hospitalized in New York City following an upper respiratory issue, a representative for the music mogul has confirmed to Rolling Stone. Davis is expected to be released within the next 48 hours.
The 94-year-old supermogul has faced health issues in the past. In 2021, his famed annual Pre-Grammy Gala, which has been held the night before the ceremony every year since 1975, was postponed following his diagnosis with Bell’s Palsy, a serious but temporary condition that causes sudden weakness in facial muscles.
Davis, one of the top music executives in the industry for half a century, has worked with and fostered the careers of Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, and many other artists.
After stumbling into the business in the early Sixties and becoming president of Columbia Records in 1967 at age 35, Davis, the man with the “golden ears,” has found success in every era. When speaking to Rolling Stone in 2017 about The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a documentary tracing his colossal 50-plus-year career, Davis emphasized his lasting love for music. “I’m immersed in it,” he said. ”I think music is the universal language.”
When looking to the future and his next steps, Davis said, “Right now I’m very involved in working to really prove a point: In the current state of music, and with the health restored in the industry, we have to address not only where the next Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen is coming from but also where is the next Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston coming from.” He added. “It can’t take place in such a dominating way that it obscures the great new voices.”
