{"id":558568,"date":"2026-06-28T16:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T16:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/558568\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T16:10:12","slug":"clive-davis-pre-grammy-gala-was-the-last-great-music-industry-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/558568\/","title":{"rendered":"Clive Davis\u2019 Pre-Grammy Gala Was the Last Great Music-Industry Party"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThere\u2019s a moment at the start of the annual Clive Davis<\/a> pre-Grammy gala, typically held on the eve of the big show, when an invited guest realizes, you\u2019re not so special. Sure, your name might be on the guest list for the seated dinner, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills for the past two decades, but your worth in the music industry is reduced to a little paper stub and a sharpie, marking your table number at the ultra-exclusive gathering. Anything in the double digits, you\u2019re in the golden circle; the 100s means you\u2019re very, very important; the 200s, you\u2019ve made music your life in one way or another; the 300s, you\u2019re in the biz, possibly tangentially, making it just as far up the ranks as to score an invitation \u2014 with no plus one. (Raises hand.)<\/p>\n

\n\tDavis, who died last week at age 94<\/a>, didn\u2019t just have a big presence at the gala he launched some 50 years ago, the legendary industry figure whose track record for hit songs spanned six decades was the main event. Positioned at the podium, Davis would deliver literal hours of info-packed introductions, pointing to luminaries in the room and often running down a list of their recent accolades. Each of these moments would build with anticipation. Davis would say something like: \u201cThis artist scored a Number One chart position in Billboard; and their recent world tour sold out within minutes; their new TV show\/documentary\/project is already a huge hit; they\u2019re a performer\u2019s performer\u201d (or rather, \u201cperformah\u201d \u2014 always with a thick New York drawl)\u2026 Who could it be? You\u2019re putting together the pieces of the puzzle. Is it Miley Cyrus? Post Malone? Jay-Z? None would be out of place in this forum.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat the Clive Davis gala had the subtitle of \u201cSalute to Industry Icons\u201d is appropriate, because as much as the night is a celebration of music\u2019s successes, many in attendance are part of the machine which make it so. Thus, the validation one receives when the invite comes. Granted, the actual invitation is not as elaborate as it was in the Nineties and aughts \u2014 when a hand-delivered box would arrive, embossed with the words \u201cthe tradition continues\u201d \u2014 but its weight, even in digital format, is no less significant.<\/p>\n

\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n

\n\tIronically, once you\u2019re inside, this is a room without velvet ropes. Gawking from afar at Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Barbra Streisand, or a Kardashian is novel for a moment, but the real action is in the mingling \u2014 down at the front tables, outside on the balcony, in the back. I once witnessed Billie Eilish make a frenzied bee line for Lana Del Rey; saw Joni Mitchell dance to Latto<\/a>; and spotted everyone from Max Martin to Nancy Pelosi to Don Lemon get cornered by boosters and sycophants. I\u2019ve seen couples make out (Cardi B and Offset, Damiano David and Dove Cameron), and heard competitors hurl jabs (Jimmy Iovine<\/a>, representing Beats in 2014, touted his just-launched music service as the place \u201cwhere you get paid on every stream\u201d). Even titans aren\u2019t spared, as Sir Lucian Grainge learned in 2018 when Shania Twain inserted his name into the lyrics to her hit \u201cThat Don\u2019t Impress Me Much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd then there were the exceptional performances. There are too many to name, but a few conjure particularly vivid memories: Beck and the surviving members of Nirvana covering David Bowie\u2019s \u201cThe Man Who Sold the World\u201d in 2017; The Time (featuring original members Morris Day, Jerome Benton, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) delivering \u201cJungle Love\u201d in recognition of trailblazing executive Clarence Avant in 2019; Elvis Costello and Juanes coming together for \u201c(What\u2019s So Funny \u2018Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding\u201d in 2023.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe night\u2019s run of show is comparable to that of the Grammys in terms of sheer number of live performances, not to mention collaborations, like when John Fogerty joined Foo Fighters\u2019 Dave Grohl and Jennifer Hudson for the Creedence classics \u201cFortunate Son\u201d and \u201cProud Mary,\u201d respectively, in 2014. Most memorably, Jamie Foxx wowed those seated when he enlisted Fantasia Barrino for an impromptu duet of \u201cDo What It Do\u201d<\/a> in 2006.<\/p>\n

\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n

\n\tDavis was also a right-on-time champion of new talent. This year\u2019s gala featured Olivia Dean and Sombr, while previous editions introduced attendees to Lorde, Doechii, and Benson Boone. Like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the finale would often involve an all-star jam featuring that year\u2019s performers. By that point, the room would have cleared out significantly. Stamina-wise, no one could outlast Clive, who traditionally would host an after-afterparty at the Beverly Hills Hotel\u2019s Polo Lounge, where friends (like regulars Ari Melber and Jeff Ross), family, and well-wishers gathered.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tLarry Jackson<\/a> and Clive Davis attend the 2025 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria on June 4, 2025 in New York City.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShahar Azran\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tOnce Clive Davis hit 90<\/a>, there was already talk of what happens to the gala when he goes. Son Doug Davis, a noted music attorney, had handled production of the event with aplomb, poring over the seating chart and fielding the numerous requests to attend. Doug told Variety in 2018 that his father wouldn\u2019t let him or his siblings attend the gala until the age of 16. As an adult, he put in 20 years working the event while running his own law practice. You could consider both full-time jobs.<\/p>\n

\n\tNaturally, the Recording Academy, which puts on the annual Grammy Awards<\/a>, could take over. The organization run by Harvey Mason Jr. came on as an official partner 15 years ago, and its CEO, a noted producer himself (his credits include records by Whitney Houston<\/a>, who tragically died the night of Clive Davis\u2019 pre-Grammy gala in 2012 \u2014 the show, somewhat controversially, went on), has proven to be a friend to the industry and a vocal advocate for the music makers.<\/p>\n

\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n

\n\tOthers point to Davis disciple Larry Jackson. A former board operator turned music director at San Francisco\u2019s KMEL, Jackson went on to A&R positions at RCA and J Records, working with the likes of Hudson and Leona Lewis under Davis\u2019 mentorship. His credits also include signing Lana Del Rey and Chief Keef to Interscope, eventually joining label head Iovine at Beats by Dr. Dre. In 2014, Jackson moved to Apple Music, where he focused on talent relations and executed partnerships with\u00a0Nicki Minaj, Frank Ocean, and\u00a0Taylor Swift, among others. In 2023, he launched gamma., with a reported $1 billion in funding from investors like Todd Boehley and Apple. Its roster currently includes Usher, Ye, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, North West<\/a>, and Sexyy Red. Perhaps the best recent example of Jackson\u2019s influence was his gamma.-hosted Grammy Awards afterparty in February held at \u2014 wait for it \u2014 the Polo Lounge. Stars in attendance<\/a> included Justin Bieber, Jamie Foxx, and Lauryn Hill, the latter taking the microphone for a spontaneous medley, to the crowd\u2019s delight.<\/p>\n

\n\tIs there another executive with Clive Davis\u2019 credentials and pull? Those that can claim such clout \u2014 like Jimmy Iovine and David Geffen \u2014 have left the industry for greener pastures. And something about Clive\u2019s passing truly feels like the end of an era. After all, it\u2019s hard to celebrate the business of music when songwriters can barely eke out a living, or when musicians\u2019 creations are being used to train AI, or when bots and digitally marketed clips masquerade as buzz, no curation to be found. I\u2019m not sure Clive Davis\u2019 tales of having \u201cears\u201d or taking massive swings \u2014 against the grain or with it \u2014 would resonate in today\u2019s metric-obsessed industry. But it sure was fun while it lasted. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a moment at the start of the annual Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala, typically held on the eve…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558569,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[264],"tags":[151891,18,117,10434,19,17,238919,70405,337,92823],"class_list":["post-558568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-clive-davis","tag-eire","tag-entertainment","tag-grammy-awards","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-jimmy-iovine","tag-larry-jackson","tag-music","tag-whitney-houston"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116828610869645672","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}