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With L.A.’s fires in mind, Clive Davis celebrates 50 years of his annual pre-Grammy gala

BBG News

50 years after hosting a modest music-industry gathering to honor Barry Manilow’s first Grammy nomination for Record of the Year, 92-year-old Clive Davis celebrated the 50th anniversary of his well-known annual pre-Grammy party this past Saturday night.

At the event, various beverages were available, speeches were delivered, and Barry Manilow, looking fit and stylish for his age of 81, graced the stage by singing his timeless hit “Mandy”. The performance was a mix of today’s moment and flashbacks from a joint appearance he and Davis made on “The Midnight Special” back in 1975, as footage from both occasions were displayed on screens.

Were you surprised, Manilow wondered aloud to his audience, at how I appeared as the sophisticated record executive who guided me to fame?” or

“Did you find it hard to imagine, Manilow remarked to the crowd, that I looked like that debonair record executive who played a significant role in my rise to stardom?” or

“Can you still recall, Manilow addressed his audience, how taken aback you were when you saw me looking as dapper as that record executive who helped make me a star?

The party hosted by Clive Davis took place at the Beverly Hilton prior to the 67th Grammys, and it attracted a typically star-studded group. Guests such as Jennifer Lopez, Gladys Knight, Alicia Keys, Berry Gordy, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Jack Antonoff, and Nancy Pelosi were present for an evening filled with music and strategic networking, which Jimmy Kimmel described as similar to “Clive Davis’ bar mitzvah.

At the initial gathering, while introducing Davis, Kimmel quipped by saying, “Moses accompanied by The Bay City Rollers.

Despite the recent destructive wildfires in Los Angeles last month, Davis decided to transform this Saturday’s gala into a charity event for MusiCares, a charitable organization affiliated with the Recording Academy. He personally donated a significant sum of money, and he encouraged the wealthy attendees to generously contribute towards helping music professionals affected by the crisis.

The evening’s festivities commenced featuring a rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse group, comprising Chris and Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, producer Andrew Watt, and Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They played an assortment of songs originally by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to kick off the night. Later on, Michael Bublé stepped in to honor the late Quincy Jones with a lively version of “Fly Me to the Moon.

Four out of the eight nominees for Best New Artist at the Grammys took the stage: Doechii, full of theater kid energy during “Denial Is a River”; Teddy Swims, who gave a powerful performance of “Lose Control” in a sparkling white suit; Shaboozey, who seemed to be growing weary of his signature song, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”; and Benson Boone, looking like a rock god in a leather jumpsuit as he belted out the high notes of “Beautiful Things.

2023 Grammy winner for Best New Artist Samara Joy performed Betty Carter’s “Tight”, while gospel legend Yolanda Adams paid a heartfelt tribute to Whitney Houston with her rendition of “I Will Always Love You”. Notably, at the event, the late Whitney Houston was remembered by music mogul Clive Davis, who signed her to his Arista label and tragically passed away at the Beverly Hilton in 2012, mere hours before the ceremony commenced. Post Malone also attended and dedicated a performance of “Sunflower” – his only good song as he put it – to Jody Gerson, who was honored with the Recording Academy’s Industry Icon award by Universal Music Publishing Group.

The pinnacle, as is frequently the case nowadays, featured Joni Mitchell, a long-standing confidante of Davis, who perched onstage in a glittering throne with her golden hair concealed under a beret, her playful eyes veiled behind sunglasses. She serenaded the audience with “Both Sides Now” and George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” delivering each note with such depth that even a bustling crowd of chatterbox spectators was brought to near quiet contemplation.

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2025-02-02 23:31

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