Clive Davis may still be on Zoom as we speak.

Last night, to raise funds for the Grammy Museum and Musicares, Davis conducted a six hour Zoom gala in which he interviewed superstars who are publicity shy and featured rare video and live performances by  A listers.

The show began at 7pm and ended at 1am. It went through “Saturday Night Live.” And most everyone stayed, which was remarkable. At the end, at 1am, David conducted a short after party on line for those still awake, including everyone ont the west coast.

On his interview list: Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Dionne Warwick, Berry Gordy, Chris Stapleton, Oprah Winfrey, Donovan, Barry Manilow, Dave Grohl, and Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana, whose hit “Smooth” was a Davis production.

Clive included newish rap star Da Baby who talked about experiencing his father’s death and brother’s suicide back to back last November during the pandemic. Da Baby, aka Jonathan Kirk, turned out to be disarming and articulate. So was Gabi Wilson, aka HER, who performed Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U.

I wrote in an earlier item about Clive’s Joni Mitchell interview. She looked and sounded wonderful.

Rock stars like John Fogerty, Carly Simon, songwriters Valerie Simpson, and Carole Bayer Sager, and many more remained plugged in for the six hours.

Paul Simon, who goes back to the mid 60s with Clive with Simon & Garfunkel, also looked terrific, rested, and was praising of his host. “Clive, it was you who picked Bridge Over Troubled Water as the first single of from our album. Everyone else wanted Cecilia. And that changed everything.”

Dave Grohl credited the success of the Foo Fighters hit “Times Like These” to Davis. “I’ve never told anyone else,” said Grohl, “but it was your radio edit of the single that made it work. Your edit was perfect. We went with it.”

Motown chief Berry Gordy, who’s 91, told Davis, 89– and they both look remarkably younger by the way — that he once considered himself Davis’s rival and is now thrilled to be his friend. He recalled that when Diana Ross left the Supremes, he considered it like a “stock split” in which two companies would thrive. (There was no mention of the recently deceased beloved Supreme Mary Wilson.)

All I can say is, this night, and its predecessor from January, must be turned into a series of some kind for the public. It was the Book of Revelations!

Elton John was one of Clive Davis’ A list interviewees tonight on his Zoom gala for the Grammy Museum.

I haven’t even mentioned yet all stars in the ‘green room’– including Carly Simon, Dionne Warwick, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Valerie Simpson, Dionne Warwick, Berry Gordy, Carole Bayer Sager, Randy Jackson, Nikki Haskell, Aaron Neville, Martina Navritilova, Peter Asher, Josh Groban, Nile Rodgers, Gayle King, Melba Moore, Lorna Luft, Desmond Child, Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel, Rickey Minor, and so on and on.

Back to Elton. In an eloquent interview, really one of the best I’ve ever seen or heard with Elton, he talked about his farewell tour. It was supposed to end in 2022, but now Elton says because of the pandemic he’ll probably finish in 2023.

He said to Clive, “I don’t want to schlep anymore.” I thought it was the title of a new hit with Bernie Taupin! Elton has been touring since 1968. I know what he means.

Elton spoke about rap and hip hop being as important as jazz as a new music language, and why he keeps guesting on new artists’ records. He just stays eternally young. It’s very important to him to keep introducing new artists on his Apple radio show. His wise advice: “Keep your eyes open and keep listening to music you don’t understand.”

About his own music: Clive played a gorgeous orchestral video of Elton singing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”Elton said that it’s a hard song to sing, but it’s one of his favorites.

Clive asked him what it was like to make 8 hit albums in 5 years back in the 70s. Elton summed it up: “When you have the momentum it’s hard to stop.”

So glad he didn’t!

Joni Mitchell told Clive Davis tonight during his amazing Zoom gala for the Grammy Museum how she wrote her biggest hit, “Both Sides Now.”

First of all, this interview was a coup because Joni hasn’t given an interview since her brain aneurysm several years ago. I am happy to report that she looked resplendent, and spoke perfectly with no ill effects from her illness. She has made a remarkable comeback.

Joni told Clive that “Both Sides Now” came to her when she was on a plane, reading Saul Bellow’s “Henderson the Rain King.”

“In the book, he’s also on a plane and that inspired me to look out the window at the clouds. People made fun of me, how can you say you’ve looked at clouds from both sides. But I did.”

Joni has been hosting salons at her home, with guests like Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile, who performed a stunning version of “A Case of You” commissioned for this show. It’s the best thing she’s done, and she’s done a lot of great things.

Among other revelations, Joni told Clive that when she first started out she had to write her own songs because the folk community was “so territorial. They would say, I play that song in this territory.” So she started writing. She was told her early songs were no good because no one would cover them! But so many Joni Mitchell songs are in the pop canon sung by other stars, she certainly proved them wrong. Think of “River,” or “Big Yellow Taxi,” or dozens more. She got the last laugh.

There’s more, but I’m doing this real time. Come back later and refresh. (Now Clive, who just interviewed Paul Simon and Elton John and HER, is talking to Da Baby. Insanely wonderful.)

Clive Davis’s Zoom Gala to benefit the Grammy Museum is in progress and it’s amazing, of course.

In a rare interview, Oprah Winfrey– who appeared to talk about Tina Turner– revealed something she says no one knows. When Clive brought Whitney to her show for a late career appearance, Whitney– who was trying hard to stage a comeback — fell off the stage.

“It was not drugs,” Oprah said, and Clive agreed. She slipped, but it unnerved Whitney so that she took a break to regroup. During the break Oprah begged the audience to keep it a secret.

“To this day I’ve never read or heard anyone say it,” said Oprah. Whitney, by the way, returned to the stage and got a standing ovation. She triumphed over the accident.

Wow. It’s going to be a long night of revelations. Clive just admitted his two favorite songs of all time are “The Boxer” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

“I do feel better saying it,” he admitted. So cute. More to come…

The song was Diane Warren’s “I Don’t Know My Own Strength.”