“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman. … I signed Lou Reed. … I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly said in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.
But Davis didn’t simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant for decades after their first hits. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, flourished in her later years at Arista, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records.
It was Davis who conceived of the 1999 album “Supernatural,” which paired guitar god Carlos Santana with some of the day’s hottest talents. The record won a record-tying eight Grammys and gave Santana more success than he had ever enjoyed before in his decadeslong career.
Davis won four Grammy Awards in his long career — in 2000 for best rock album and album of the year (both for Santana’s “Supernatural”), in 2006 for best pop vocal album (Clarkson’s “Breakaway”) and in 2009 for best R&B album (Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled work).
Davis cast a wide shadow over all of American popular culture, with his pre-Grammys party one of the must-attend social events of the year for music movers and shakers.
Jelly Roll, Art Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Berry Gordy, Brandi Carlile, Pharrell Williams, Diplo, Dave Grohl, Gladys Knight, Lana Del Rey, Shaboozey, Jack Antonoff and Hudson all attended or performed at Davis’ most recent pre-Grammy’s bash at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 31.
