Clive Davis, 94, hospitalized in New York... just DAYS after attending starry event with Alicia Keys

Famed music mogul Clive Davis was hospitalized in New York City on Friday, just days after attending a star-studded event with Alicia Keys. 

The 94-year-old record producer has an upper respiratory infection and was taken to the hospital in an extra step of caution, per TMZ. 

A spokesperson for Davis told the outlet that he is expected to leave the hospital within 24 hours. 

The record executive has been a prominent figure in the music industry for decades, having worked with stars such as Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow and Billy Joel. 

He was the former president of Columbia Records and is the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. 

Davis was notably inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2000 as a non-performer.  

Just last week, Davis was seen attending the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction in NYC. 

He joined other celebrity guests that made an appearance during the special evening including Alicia Keys. 

At one point, the pair were seen sitting next to each other at a table alongside Chance The Rapper and Swizz Beatz.   

Davis was born in April 1932 in Brooklyn and studied political science at New York University College of Arts & Science. He later graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956. 

And then in 60s, he became General Counsel of Columbia Records before being appointed as Vice President and General Manager in 1966. 

The following year, Davis reached a major milestone when he became President of Columbia Records, where he pursued his interest in rock and folk music. 

He attended the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and signed Janis Joplin's band called Big Brother and The Holding Company. 

Other artists that he eventually signed included Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Santana, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith as well as Earth, Wind and Fire.  

During a past discussion with The Talks, Davis recalled attending the festival in Monterey and its impact.

'In the months thereafter I signed Blood, Sweat & Tears, and built my roster at Columbia quietly until I launched it in a really important way.'

He added, 'Watching Janis that day, I realized that I've got to move on my instinct, my intuition. Every artist that I've signed since has had an impact.' 

Davis also helped in the successful careers of Simon & Garfunkel, Andy Williams and Barbra Streisand. 

He had also hired recording artist Tony Orlando who later became vice-president of Columbia/CBS Music. In 1969, Orlando notably signed Barry Manilow. 

Davis left Columbia and went on to launch Arista Records in 1974. 

The label, which is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment, helped kickstart the careers of other music artists such as Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Aretha Franklin, The Grateful Dead, Eurythmics, and Dionne Warwick. 

Under Arista, he also signed Alicia Keys, Westlife, Kenny G, Air Supply and Bay City Rollers.  

Davis also launched LaFace Records in 1989 with L.A. Reid and Babyface. 

Music artists that were signed to the label included TLC, Usher, Pink and also Toni Braxton. 

Five years later, the record executive also founded Bad Boy Records with Sean 'Diddy' Combs which acquired performers including Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Mase. 

In 2000, he left Arista to form J Records which had an artist roster that included Annie Lenox, Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes, Jamie Foxx, Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson, Kesha, Rod Stewart and Pearl Jam. 

Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) bought a majority stake in J Records in 2002 before the label started working under RCA Music group. It dissolved into RCA Records in 2011. 

RCA Records is owned by Sony Music Entertainment, which Davis is currently the chief creative officer of. 

Over the years, the music mogul has garnered four Grammy wins as a producer, including Album of The Year for The Bodyguard by Whitney Houston. 

'Music is a necessary ingredient in people's lives,' Davis said during his discussion with The Talks. 

'No matter what revolution is occurring in technology, it has to understand that music will not be obsoleted.'

He added, 'People need music, and they've needed it for many years in many different ways; whether you go back to church traditions or other traditions in life, whether it's pop or soul or rock or jazz… 

'It's a very, very natural basic ingredient that's essential to the full enjoyment of life.' 

Back in 2021, Davis was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy which had caused him to postpone his annual Pre-Grammy Gala. 

It is 'a condition that causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face,' per Mayo Clinic. 

At the time, a rep for Davis told Variety that the star was in 'good spirits' amid the diagnosis. 

The star also told Variety earlier this year that he likes to stay up-to-date with new music that comes out. 

'First of all, I enjoy it. Secondly, I like feeling informed, so that when I meet the new artists or we spend time together, they're not talking to yesterday's maven, so to speak.' 

He the recalled recently spending time with Alicia Keys who paid him a visit in Miami. 

'So we spent the entire weekend together, she brought her two boys with her,' he explained. 

'But it's not just reminiscence - it's to be able to appraise with her where music is today and where it's going and how it's changing and how complex career direction is.'