{"id":44014,"date":"2026-06-23T02:10:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T02:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/44014\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T02:10:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T02:10:16","slug":"carlos-santana-patti-smith-and-other-celebs-pay-tribute-to-clive-davis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/44014\/","title":{"rendered":"Carlos Santana, Patti Smith and Other Celebs Pay Tribute to Clive Davis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clive Davis, a giant of the music industry who for over a half century skillfully guided the careers of dozens of artists, including Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow and Aretha Franklin, died on Monday<\/a> in Manhattan. He was 94.<\/p>\n

Many of the artists he had worked with remembered him for his talent, kindness and creativity.<\/p>\n

Barry Manilow<\/p>\n

Manilow, mourning the loss of his friend, wrote in a statement<\/a> that for 50 years he and Davis \u201cworked together, created together, argued together, and celebrated together.\u201d Davis helped bring Manilow his first No. 1 hit, \u201cMandy.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, some would say it was business,\u201d Manilow continued. \u201cBut to Clive, it never was. It was family. And I was honored to be a part of his.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bruce Springsteen<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records,\u201d Springsteen said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cHe treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success. A great man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlos Santana<\/p>\n

Santana praised Davis\u2019s ear for music, writing that he could \u201chear the intangible before anyone else could see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClive understood that music is more than entertainment,\u201d wrote Santana<\/a>, whose 1999 album, \u201cSupernatural,\u201d released on Davis\u2019s label Arista, won nine Grammy Awards. \u201cMusic is a healing force. It brings people together beyond fear, beyond separation, beyond borders. He dedicated his life to championing artists and helping them share their gifts with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gladys Knight<\/p>\n

The soul singer called Davis \u201can icon\u201d who \u201cdid so much for so many.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will never be another Clive,\u201d Knight said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cHe and Whitney are together again, and the heavens are singing.\u201d (Whitney Houston, whose hits like \u201cHow Will I Know\u201d were championed by Davis, died in 2012.)<\/p>\n

Rod Stewart<\/p>\n

Stewart said Davis<\/a> had been the \u201conly one who believed a rock singer could sing the standards with conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOther labels rejected the idea, and so \u2018The Great American Songbook\u2019 was born, selling close to 40 million copies,\u201d Stewart added, referring to his five-volume series of popular standards. \u201cWe had some wonderful, unforgettable times together, but for now, Mr. Davis, it\u2019s goodbye, my dear friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patti Smith<\/p>\n

Smith, a prominent artist for Arista in the 1970s, thanked Davis<\/a> for \u201ctransforming music\u201d and for \u201cbelieving in me, shepherding my efforts and a half century of your love and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rob Thomas<\/p>\n

The Matchbox Twenty frontman noted that<\/a> Davis had been a friend and mentor to him for 27 years, ever since he was featured on Carlos Santana\u2019s \u201cSmooth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas wasn\u2019t on Davis\u2019s label, but the music executive still worked hard for Thomas\u2019s success, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many people just assumed that I was on Clive\u2019s label, but he was just a strong advocate for his friends,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cCompared to the superstars that Clive worked with and the careers he launched, I was a tiny fish, but he always took time to make me feel special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diane Warren<\/p>\n

Warren, known for writing songs like the Aerosmith hit \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Miss a Thing,\u201d said that losing Davis felt like losing her father.<\/p>\n

\u201cCountless artists and songwriters owe everything to you,\u201d she wrote<\/a>. \u201cI am one of them. Without you I would never have the career I have. I know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Bubl\u00e9<\/p>\n

Bubl\u00e9, who posted three pictures<\/a> of Davis in a tribute, said the music executive \u201cwasn\u2019t just a music legend\u201d but \u201ca champion of artists and someone who believed in people and their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForever grateful for his guidance, his generosity, and the opportunities he gave so many of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Darlene Love<\/p>\n

Love, who is known for her 1963 hit \u201cChristmas (Baby Please Come Home),\u201d was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame<\/a> in 2011. She lauded Davis<\/a> as \u201cone of the greatest hitmakers\u201d the industry had ever known.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for believing in artists, creating timeless music, and leaving an extraordinary legacy that will live on forever,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Martha Stewart<\/p>\n

The television personality and entrepreneur remembered Davis as her friend, mentor and neighbor.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did he provide us with some of the best performers and their music for more than half a century, he was the kindest, most thoughtful and caring human being,\u201d Stewart said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Magic Johnson<\/p>\n

The N.B.A. legend said he and his wife, Cookie, were saddened to hear that Davis, whom he called a \u201cvisionary\u201d with a \u201cgolden ear for talent,\u201d had died.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis Grammy parties will always be a core memory for us, and we\u2019ll cherish all the great times we shared together,\u201d Johnson said<\/a>.<\/p>\n