Music legend Clive Davis died on June 22, 2026, at the age of 94 at his home in Manhattan, New York, ending a remarkable six-decade career that reshaped popular music. A five-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Davis helped launch or revive the careers of icons including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, and Carlos Santana. Beyond his immense professional legacy, Davis was also a devoted father.

Davis was married twice, first to Helen Cohen and later to Janet Adelberg, with both marriages ending in divorce; however, beyond his extraordinary professional legacy, he leaves behind a family legacy and is survived by four children.

Fred Davis, the eldest son of Clive Davis, is an entertainment attorney, venture capitalist, and digital media executive. Born in 1960 to Clive Davis and his first wife, Helen Cohen, he grew up surrounded by the music industry and developed an early appreciation for artists and recording culture. While attending Tufts University, he helped promote acts on Arista Records, including the Grateful Dead and Barry Manilow.

He later earned a law degree from Fordham University in 1985 and co-founded the entertainment law firm Davis Shapiro & Lewit, representing prominent artists and executives. As the music business evolved, Fred Davis shifted toward digital media and technology, advising companies such as Spotify, YouTube, Myspace, and Shazam. Today, he is a partner at The Raine Group, where he focuses on investments in media and technology.

He is married to New York real estate broker Rona Davis and has a blended family of 5 children.

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Clive Davis' legacy expanded through his children even further with the birth of his daughter, Lauren Davis. 

Lauren Davis is an educator, entertainment attorney, and academic administrator who serves as Associate Chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. Born in 1962, 2 years after Fred Davis, to Clive Davis and Helen Cohen, she was raised alongside her siblings in a family immersed in music and entertainment. However, unlike her older brother, she graduated from NYU, earned her law degree from the Cardozo School of Law, and then began her career practicing entertainment law.

In the 1990s, she expanded into academia, eventually returning to her alma mater in 2006 as a faculty member at the Clive Davis Institute. Over the years, she has helped shape the institute’s professional development curriculum and served on NYU’s Continuing Contract Council. In January 2025, she was promoted to Associate Chair. Alongside her leadership role, Lauren Davis continues to represent artists, songwriters, producers, and music companies as a freelance attorney.

Music and entrepreneurship have been constants throughout Mitchell “Mitch” Davis’ life, from his early days around Arista Records to his current role as CEO of the luxury candle company Illuminations. Born in 1970 to Clive Davis and his second wife, Janet Adelberg, he grew up surrounded by the business of music and eventually forged his own path in live events, artist management, and luxury branding.

After interning at Arista Records, he earned degrees from Brandeis University and Cardozo Law School before building a career in music management, concert production, and entertainment ventures. In 2019, he revived the premium candle brand Illuminations and now serves as its CEO. He and his wife, Clare Davis, first met as record-label interns, married in 2004, and share two children.

For decades, Doug Davis has balanced careers in law, music production, and philanthropy, establishing a name that extends far beyond his famous family. The youngest son of Clive Davis and Janet Adelberg, Doug grew up in New York City alongside his three older siblings. After studying political science at Syracuse University and earning a law degree from Fordham University, he founded The Davis Firm, representing leading artists, songwriters, and executives.

In 2018, Variety honored him as Entertainment Lawyer of the Year. Alongside his legal work, he has earned six Grammy Awards as a producer and spent nearly two decades co-producing the annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala with his father. A cancer survivor, Doug Davis has devoted much of his life to philanthropy and social justice. He and his wife, Jessica "Jessie" Muscio, whom he married in 2019, have two daughters and live in New York City.

Though Clive Davis leaves behind an unmatched legacy in music, his greatest pride may have been the family he built. From law and academia to entrepreneurship and entertainment, his four children have each forged successful paths of their own while carrying forward the values and influence of one of the industry's most iconic figures.

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Which of Clive Davis’ children do you think has followed most closely in his footsteps? Let us know in the comments.