Clive Davis has finally returned to the New York area after a year of living away, first in Southern California, and them in Miami. He’s come back just at the right time, having celebrated his 89th birthday last month. New York is opening up, and the effervescent music mogul is focused on a big event this Saturday.
Clive is hosting his second Grammy Zoom gala for charity this Saturday, with another 2,000 guests. Among them will be so many A-listers Zoom may explode. The last one he did, in January, was an incredible success.
On this new Zoom, Clive tells me he’s got some spectacular and historic interviews. I told you a couple of weeks ago that he scored the first talk with Joni Mitchell since she became ill a few years ago.
But he’s also got Paul Simon, who Clive helped launch with Art Garfunkel at Columbia Records in the mid 60s. I will be taking notes. Clive and Simon & Garfunkel are essential rock and roll history.
Another interview that should be amazing will be with Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records. Clive tells me, “I wanted to talk to him about the time when the Supremes were breaking up. We were going through the same thing because Simon & Garfunkel were going their own ways, too.” This should be gold.
Two performers have already booked the Zoom gala– Brandi Carlile, and HER. The latter will sing Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which should be legendary. There’s a third “surprise” guest, but we have to wait and see who it is.
The other interviews are only with Elton John, Oprah, Brian May of Queen, and of all things, new rap star DaBaby. What was that like, I wondered? “You’ll see,” said Clive. “Very interesting.”
Between this event and the one from January, these extravaganzas should be preserved somehow. I asked Clive if he’d had inquiries. The answer is yes, from all the streamers. There’s an important series here. So stay tuned…
