Friends and family remember Clive Davis, 'the man with the golden ears'

Friends and colleagues remembered Clive Davis as a music impresario who remained active and engaged until the end. He had been expected to be honored at the Grammy Awards next year, and restaurateur Max Tucci, who last spoke with him on June 8, recalled saying, "We have a lot of things to do," and Davis answering, "We do.

We do." Davis passed away in his sleep with his partner, Greg Schriefer, by his side. His annual pre‑Grammy party, launched in 1975, became a fixture of music’s biggest weekend and was once called the second‑most‑coveted ticket in town. Davis discovered artists including Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, earning him the nickname "the man with the golden ears." He drew inspiration from the great American songbook and, mentored by Goddard Lieberson, rose to become president of Columbia Records, where he signed Bruce Springsteen when he was 22.

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