Overview
- Davis died at his Manhattan home on Monday, June 22, and his longtime representative and family said he passed peacefully from an age-related illness surrounded by loved ones.
- He had been treated weeks earlier for an upper respiratory issue and was released from hospital before returning home to recuperate.
- Davis rose from Columbia Records lawyer to company president in 1967, founded Arista Records in 1974, launched J Records in 2000, and served as chief creative officer at major music companies late in life.
- He is widely credited with discovering or revitalizing the careers of artists such as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys and for shaping hits across rock, R&B and pop.
- Artists and industry figures have poured in tributes and his death leaves a gap in veteran A&R leadership and in traditions he created, including his long-running pre-Grammy gala.