Clive Davis Laid to Rest in Star-Studded N.Y.C. Funeral as His Musical Protégés Tearfully Pay Tribute

Following his death at age 94 last week, Davis' family said that he "discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history"

NEED TO KNOW

• Clive Davis was honored at his funeral by music icons including Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and Dionne Warwick
• Kenny G and Jennifer Hudson performed at the service

• Davis, a five-time Grammy winner, founded Arista Records and played a pivotal role in shaping modern music history

Clive Davis, the legendary executive who died at 94 last week, was honored with a heartfelt tribute from some of the biggest figures in the music industry before being laid to rest.

Attendees at Davis' funeral — held on Monday, June 29, at the Central Synagogue in midtown Manhattan — included Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny G and Jennifer Hudson, all of whom Davis is credited with playing a key role in their careers.

The service opened with a clarinet performance from Kenny G and included speeches from Davis' sons Fred and Doug as well as Warwick, Manilow, Keys and Springsteen. Hudson also delivered a powerful performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Whitney Houston's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," choking up at the end.

In Warwick's speech, the "That's What Friends Are For" musician recalled meeting Davis at a time when she wasn't signed to a record company and thought about giving up music, but he insisted "the business is not willing to give you up." She ultimately signed to Davis' Arista Records and worked with Manilow on her 1979 album Dionne, which won two Grammy Awards.

"He was a dear friend," said Warwick of Davis. "He was always asking 'Where's my Dionne?' Well I'm here, Clive, today — for you."

Manilow began his speech by reflecting on undergoing a lobectomy to treat lung cancer in December 2025. "A few months ago, surgeons removed a piece of my lung. Last week, I lost a piece of my heart," he said. The singer-songwriter spoke about how Davis encouraged him to record a cover of Scott English’s “Brandy,” which ultimately became his hit song "Mandy" following lots of back-and-forth discussion between them.

"I’m going to miss him. Who am I going to argue with?. Oh, Clive, I wish we could do it all again," said Manilow. "Thanks for everything, my friend."

Following Hudson's performance, Keys spoke about meeting Davis as a teenager and signing with his J Records label to release her debut album, Songs in A Minor. "You saw something in me that I was only just beginning to see in myself, and that’s a gift I’ll never fully be able to repay, only honor," she said. "You didn’t just sign an artist, you recognized a soul."

"Thank you for seeing me, from the very beginning, before I even saw myself," added Keys.

Springsteen began his speech with a joke: "Clive was the most humble man in the music business — not really." He then opened up about how Davis always showed up for him, even for his recent Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, which wrapped last month.

"He guided the listening public toward so much powerful and inspiring music, and he not only loved music, Clive actually loved the people who made the music no matter how much of a pain in the ass they were," said the Boss. "And he loved those people deeply and permanently with his loyalty. He let me know that was always the way he felt about me. And I loved him back. I never felt nothing but love coming from Clive."

Additional attendees at Davis' funeral included Gayle King, Hoda Kotb, Adrien Brody, Gregg Alexander, Ja Rule, Shoshana Bean, Rob Thomas, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Pat Houston, sister-in-law and manager of the late Whitney.

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Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern recorded music, Davis died on Monday, June 22.

Davis' longtime rep Aliza Rabinoff shared with PEOPLE that he "passed away peacefully from age-related illness…surrounded by his family and loved ones."

His family said in a statement that Davis "discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history," adding that his "vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives."

A five-time Grammy winner, Davis held positions at several major music labels, including Columbia Records, RCA Music Group and BMG. He founded Arista Records in 1974 and served as its president until 2000 when he launched J Records. In 2008, he was appointed chief creative officer for all of Sony Music Entertainment.

A number of musicians whose careers were influenced by Davis shared tributes to the late executive after his death, including Springsteen.

Springsteen, 76, wrote on Instagram, "Over here on E Street, we mourn the death of the great record man and close friend Clive Davis. At 22 years old, he changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records. He treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success. A great man. All our prayers and love."

Alicia Keys, 45, one of the defining artists of J Records, also paid tribute, reposting a collage of them together on Instagram with the quote, "To Clive Davis, the visionary who transformed dreams into reality, leaving an indelible mark on music and lives worldwide — Alicia Keys."

Dionne Warwick also honored Davis in an official statement, writing, "My dear friend lived a more than promised allotted time and made each moment count. I am truly going to miss him. He always wanted to know 'where's my Dionne?' I referred to him as the brown shoe, white sock record executive. I can think of no other record man that seemed to have that magical ability to know a hit when he heard a song."

Warwick, 85, also added, "The entire music industry I'm sure will mourn his passing. He was one of a kind."

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