EXCLUSIVE Music mogul Clive Davis’s big pre-Grammy gala happens tonight, Saturday, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
But Friday, Davis, 93, threw a “small,” intimate dinner for 150 close A list friends at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Only Davis could pull this off the night before his massive stat studded Grammy party with the Recording Academy. (Some of tonight’s featured performers were mentioned but I’m not allowed to say that everyone from Jelly Roll to Art Garfunkel is on the program!)
Davis arranged for Tony award winner Darren Criss to entertain a crowd that included “Succession” actor Brian Cox, famed Motown songwriter Valerie Simpson, Oscar nominated Diane Warren, lifestyle guru Sandra Lee, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and an A list of record execs and other LA notables including “Laugh In” creator George Schlatter, comedian Jeff Ross, plus Nikki Haskell, Candy Spelling, and Denise Rich, as well as the great cardiologist Dr. Jennifer Mieres and her psychiatrist husband, Haskel Fleishaker, two of my favorite people!
The evening began with a special tribute to Recording Academy honorees Monte and Avery Lipman of Republic Records, the hottest record label in the business.
Davis also saluted Barry Manilow, who’s getting ready to hit the road again after staring down a cancer diagnosis. He played a new version of a 40 year old Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford song, “Once Before I Go,” produced by Babyface at Clive’s direction. You should have seen all those A listers waving their hands in the air and grooving along.
Davis surprised everyone when he announced that the single was hitting the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart next week — meaning he and Manilow, who he signed in 1974 — are having a new hit over 50 years after they they began their legendary collaboration with “Mandy”! (You can listen below.)
But the star attraction who only Clive could present was none other than the legendary Liza Minnelli, one of the few winners of an Oscar, Tonys, Emmy, and Grammy Awards. A real EGOT! Liza not only took pictures with everyone but appeared center stage and spoke off the top of her head. Then she said, “I guess I should sing something.”
The crowd went wild.
Talk about a standing ovation! Liza’s voice has all of its legacy timbre, and she remains famously charming at all times. Part of the way through her song, Minnelli took a breath for dramatic emphasis. Great pop singer Taylor Dayne — who Davis had many hits with in the 1980s — instinctively sang out a lyric, which caused Liza to exclaim, “I know the words!”
She sure did. She also told the crowd everything she learned came from famed French singer Charles Aznavour. And of course praised Davis, whom she’s known her whole career.
Liza said, with great emotion and candor, “I ran away from home and went to Broadway because I didn’t want to be just Judy Garland’s daughter.”
I had a couple of nice conversations with Minnelli, who was the center of attention all night. She was accompanied by her doctor, Dr. Lawrence Piro, for what was going to be just a nice social night out. But he asked if she wanted to go to Clive’s party and she responded in the affirmative.
I told Liza one of my favorite parts she played was in Martin Scorsese’s “New York, New York” — especially the famous 12 minute mini musical within that movie called “Happy Endings.” (If you’ve never seen it’s, it’s brilliant.)
Then Liza confided to me something that took me aback. She said, “If you see Marty, tell him he was the great love of my life.”
Noted.
The pair were an item when they shot the film in 1977. Liza was also married four different times.
Minnelli also told me exclusively that she would be happy to accept a Kennedy Center honor, even under Donald Trump. “I have everything else,” she said, “but I don’t have that.” Many people expected that under a Kamala Harris presidency, Minnelli would be the obvious next choice.
Liza’s no fan of Trump, but she’s practical. She’s turning 80, has some health issues, and knows she’s the most famous American performer without a KC Honor. Given that Trump will president through 2028, why should she wait?
I agree. Maybe the Kennedy Center’s current regime will wise up and make the offer.
Photo c2026 by Peter Shapiro.
