Clive Davis: Music Executive who spotted Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen has passed away aged 94

Clive Davis, the music executive who founded Arista Records and J Records and helped kickstart the careers of Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys has died aged 94.

He had recently been hospitalised with respiratory problems and was recovering at home.

Davis played a pivotal role in the international success of Irish pop group Westlife. He signed the band to his US label Arista Records, while Simon Cowell managed the band in the UK. Clive's record label was instrumental in releasing and promoting their 1999 self-titled debut album in the United States.

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives,” a statement read on his social media pages.

“He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations. To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love.”

Davis was born on 4 April 1932 and raised in Brooklyn. Both of his parents died when he was a teenager before he went to study political science at the New York University College of Arts.

After he graduated, Davis was given a scholarship to study at Harvard where he graduated with a law degree.

The music executive was working for the law firm Rosenman & Colin LLP where one of the partners, Ralph Colin had CBS as a client

CBS subsidiary Columbia Records hired him from the law firm that represented the company, first as general counsel – during which he impressed his superiors by successfully renegotiating Bob Dylan’s contract – and then as administrative vice president and general manager in 1965.

Before his arrival, CBS mainly invested in pop music, Broadway cast albums and classical music, but doubled its share in three years after Davis spearheaded the signing of rock acts.

In 1974, the grammy-winning executive founded Arista Records where he signed the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Patti Smith, the Grateful Dead and Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston.

Davis is twice divorced and has four children. He came out as bisexual in 2013 and said he had been in a relationship with a man since the end of his second marriage. In 2015, he was honoured by the Equality Forum as an icon of LGBT History Month.