Clive addresses the faithful
Clive Davis is marking 50 years of his annual Grammy gathering, which this year has been retooled as a fundraiser for MusiCares fire relief. Though the event has pivoted to aid those affected by the wildfires, it will still feature the mix of high-profile performers and VIP guests that have made it an institution. For some reason, the legendary exec humored us by taking a few questions.
How are you faring amid all of this tumult?
The wildfires have been devastating. I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to turn our event into a fundraiser to try to repair some of the losses.
Tell me about the process of turning your event into a fundraiser.
Well, previously, nobody paid for anything! Now they are all being asked to donate. I will be giving a healthy six-figure amount. We just got another wonderful, charitable person to donate $100,000. There will be fundraising during the event.
What about the structure of the event?
The event itself, which will be performances, will stay the same.
Beyond the raising of funds, what's your hope for what this event can accomplish?
This event has been in existence for 50 years. It's been a singular event, mainly because of the music. Artists who never appeared together have done duets, trios... The audience is unique, because it’s the heads of every record company, motion picture studio, Spotify and Apple and iHeartRadio, as well as artists from music, film and other media. Whitney played it six times. Mary J. played it several times. After Alicia Keys won Best New Artist and had become a worldwide star, I said, “Alicia, what's your next biggest dream?” She thought for a minute and she said, “You know, my next biggest dream is to do a duet with Aretha Franklin at your party.” And of course we arranged for that, and it was memorable.
What are some other standout memories for you?
I just have amazing memories. Whitney is very much a part of it. I remember the year that I began J Records, and it had followed the biggest year in Arista's history. We had just done Supernatural with Santana and My Love Is Your Love with Whitney, and I was going to leave. So Bertelsmann asked me to come up with the terms under which I would stay. We asked for $150 million and five platinum or multiplatinum artists and the ability to hire anybody. So I had a list of 18 people, from president to EVPs to A&R staff to promotion—all 18 came. But the one artist, of course, that I could not take with me was Whitney. So for that year's Grammy party, in 2000, I only had two artists perform instead of the usual eight. I had Santana and Whitney. And Whitney came out, and it's an indelible memory. She came to the foot of the stage and sang “I Believe in You and Me” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Rod Stewart, when he did the Great American Songbook, was joined by Lou Reed and Slash. That was a wild combination. One year we put together Beck with the surviving members of Nirvana—Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic—and they sang David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World.”
I remember telling Taylor Swift, before she was the phenomenon that she is today, “I'm going to introduce a performer who doesn't tour much, and only a few people in this room might have seen him live. But let me tell you, it's a thrill.” I introduced Johnny Mathis. She did her trademark Taylor gasp. After we did Supernatural, I brought out Carlos Santana and he performed—most electrifyingly, doing “Smooth” with Rob Thomas.
There are so many more memories—Jamie Foxx and Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Dougie Fresh. Harry Connick Jr. and Carrie Underwood doing “When Somebody Loves You,” or Jennifer Hudson and Gladys Knight doing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Performances by Brandi Carlile, Carly Simon, Taylor… too many to enumerate. Indelible memories.
And so many guests have come year after year. It's Nancy Pelosi's, I think, 24th or 25th consecutive year. She would never miss it. Kevin Costner, Tom Hanks. It’s an unusual grouping of music fans, no matter their professions.
Would you like to say a word or two about the Grateful Dead, since they’re being honored by MusiCares?
I can only say wonderful things about the Grateful Dead on their being honored by MusiCares. I met them when I was head of Columbia Records. I was asked by their lawyer, Hal Kant, to come to San Francisco and meet with them; they were thinking of going on their own label because they were unhappy with what Warner Bros. was selling. They sold out Madison Square Garden in one minute, but when their album came out, it didn't sell comparably. They wanted my thoughts on their plan, which was to sell records out of Good Humor trucks all over America.
I remember, in their long conference room, saying, “I think you're making a big mistake. I think you don't know what kind of collection problems you can have. You’re not going to get any kind of promotion. It’s a naive move.” Meanwhile, I formed Arista and signed a wide variety of artists. Later, I got another call from Hal: “Jerry and Bobby feel they want to be on your label. Everything that you said would happen if they started their own label did happen.” So I signed them to Arista Records, and what a leap of faith they made. So they have a very special part of my heart.
You’ve shepherded so many artists to fame. When you look at the present landscape, which emerging acts do you believe could become household names?
There are several. There’s Sabrina Carpenter, who's so talented, as is Chappell Roan. Cynthia Erivo. Teddy Swims. Shaboozey. Doechii is very talented. There are quite a few who show unique talent and seem to be candidates for longevity.
Do you feel opportunities to really develop artists have diminished, given the way the industry has evolved?
I think there's less traditional marketing, in terms of artist development. Fifty years later, Barry Manilow is as big as ever. Patti Smith is still headlining. Santana is still headlining. That’s quite a challenge for today's musical stars.
Final question: If it were possible to get Lenny Beer to dress better, where would you start?
I don't think it's possible to get Lenny Beer to dress better. He's a man of conviction. And I don't think that he will change his criteria for anyone, and that includes me and you or anyone else.
