Clive Jay Davis is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. Clive Davis is currently the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. He has been in this position since 2018.
From 1967 to 1973, Clive Davis was the president of Columbia Records. In 1974, Davis founded Arista Records and headed the label until 2000.
He signed a number of big-name artists, including Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Ace of Base, Air Supply, Taylor Dayne, and Alicia Keys.
In 1989, Davis co-founded Arista Nashville with Tim DuBois, and subsequently signed such country artists as Pam Tillis, Brad Paisley, and Brooks & Dunn. Davis was later fired from Arista and its parent company BMG in 2000 due to an age restriction policy.
From 2002 until April 2008, he was chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group which included RCA Records, J Records, and Arista Records, chair and CEO of J Records, and chair and CEO of BMG North America.