India Arie is speaking out after Clive Davis’ death, saying the late music executive’s towering legacy should not silence harder questions about the record business he helped build.
Davis died Monday at 94 after more than five decades as one of music’s most powerful execs and helped shape the careers of Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Janis Joplin, Santana, and Aretha Franklin.
“THE POINT I’M MAKING IS: THAT NO RECORD LABEL EXECUTIVE WHO IS DOMINANT IN THIS BUSINESS IS ETHICAL,” she wrote in a post that quickly went viral.
She followed up with, “ANY DOMINATE RECORD LABEL, at which Clive Davis was at THE TOP, for 5 decades? , hurt LOTS of artists getting there. Mark my words ~ Watch what kind of archival invterviews are about to come out. I would tell my story too, but mine is minimal compared to what you’re about to hear. when people talk about the music industry being so awful. It’s the record label executives that do that. As forward these words may be, this is the diplomatic version.”
Davis was widely praised after his death by musicians who credited him with vision, support, and an ear for talent. To many, he was the person who opened doors and changed lives.
Arie’s post added another side to that story. The “Video” singer has previously spoken about the pressure of fame and her discomfort with industry politics.
Some artists praised Davis after learning of his death, including legendary singer Stevie Wonder.
“When you think about Clive, you think about the parties and celebrations that he had, the nights before the Grammys. He would honor various artists,” he told CNN. “That’s just a wonderful thing.”
“He, I think, gave them unconditional appreciation for their talent, for their gift. He would go through any windows, any doors, any places to get them heard,” Wonder continued. “It wasn’t about, well, we can’t play them on this station. It was as the world should be. It should be color-free.”g. I think that we need that energy. We really do.”