Clive Davis Helped Build The Grammy Museum. Its President Says 'his Legacy Is Not Going To Be Replicated'

Walk into nan Grammy Museum successful downtown L.A., and you’ll spot Clive Davis’ bequest everywhere.

The museum’s friendly capacity abstraction is named for nan precocious grounds executive, and his visage greets guests astatine nan beforehand door. (Davis was nan first million-dollar philanthropist to nan nascent Recording Academy archive and accumulation space.) His sprawling roster of acts — Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Earth, Wind & Fire — defined an full creation shape and business exemplary arsenic preserved successful nan Grammy Museum. Davis’ pre-Grammy gala was nan astir coveted invitation successful euphony each awards season.

Davis’ decease astatine 94 is “devastating,” said Michael Sticka, main executive and president of nan Grammy Museum. “Clive was ever a northbound prima of euphony and talent and artistry. We’re each fortunate to person his bequest to look up to.”

Davis’ decease marks nan extremity of possibly nan astir important and enduring profession successful nan grounds industry. Sticka said to The Times astir Davis’ singular longevity, imaginative imagination and really a profession for illustration his will apt ne'er beryllium imaginable again.

Clive was a elephantine of nan grounds business. How did his profession style nan modern grounds industry?

His profession was iconic. He really had a unsocial expertise to not conscionable bring an creator to their fullest imaginable artistically, but commercially. From Monterey Pop and Janis Joplin to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, I don’t deliberation anybody had that receptor successful them nan measurement that he did.

With Clive, what you sewage was not conscionable proceeding commercialized viability, but an knowing of what was going connected successful nan zeitgeist. That’s what propelled his profession and bequest beyond astir grounds executives.

His name’s connected nan building astatine Grammy Museum’s theater. What did he mean to nan institution — not conscionable for fundraising but arsenic a surviving relationship to euphony history?

He didn’t conscionable donate to nan museum. He donated his time, his humanities knowledge of music, his firsthand perspective. He ever kept tabs connected what was happening successful music. I ever opportunity nan Clive Davis Theater is nan toughest summons successful municipality for its intimacy and nan level of programming we do. But he did an yearly programme astatine nan depository wherever group could travel perceive stories straight from him. Once he decided he was in, he was each in.

His gala was nan spot to beryllium each Grammy play too.

I don’t deliberation anybody could stitchery a roomful of luminaries for illustration that from entertainment, tech and authorities successful nan measurement that Clive did. We were fortunate to beryllium a portion of that. Even pinch nan stature he had, he was still a beingness beingness there, he was approachable. He was ever looked astatine arsenic this surviving legend, but his bequest was continuously being built.

That’s existent complete nan arc of his career, which saw him lead Columbia, Arista, J Records and more. He had a batch of resurrections arsenic good arsenic successes.

He had this expertise to resurrect. Look astatine Santana and “Supernatural,” he was a shaper connected that medium that was inducted into nan Grammy Hall of Fame just past year. So galore of america would conscionable springiness up, but he conscionable had this resoluteness to continue, and convey God he did.

The grounds manufacture is truthful different now than erstwhile he began his career. Artists find audiences connected societal media alternatively than being discovered by explanation executives. Is a profession for illustration his — a celebrated executive driven by their ain sensation and individual savvy — moreover imaginable today?

That’s true, artists break connected societal media earlier they’re moreover connected grounds executives’ radars now. I don’t cognize if we’ll spot that benignant of profession arc again. Clive had a uncommon operation of gravitas and being recognized truthful publicly. The man and his bequest are not going to beryllium replicated.

Beyond nan sanction connected nan theater, really do you dream nan Grammy Museum will grant him pinch its programming successful clip to come?

I don’t cognize yet. We weren’t really prepared for this. We’re gonna person to beryllium down and deliberation really to salary tribute to specified a legacy. I deliberation that nan effect nan Clive Davis Theater has, bringing successful 120 artists a twelvemonth — I couldn’t deliberation of a much apropos sanction connected nan door.