Bruce Springsteen Honors Clive Davis: ‘The Right Man’ Who Changed Music History
Bruce Springsteen quipped that Clive Davis was “the most humble man in the music business” — before describing him as “big, and bombastic, and brave, and full of ideas” at the legendary record executive’s funeral on Monday, June 29, 2026.
In the final eulogy of the service, Bruce Springsteen recalled the day he auditioned for Davis, who offered him a contract with Columbia Records on the spot. “On that day, Clive showed a 22-year-old nobody the same warmth, the same kindness, the same respect that he would show me after all my success for the next 50 years,” Springsteen said.
A Lasting Legacy of Loyalty
Even after their professional paths diverged, Davis remained a devoted fan and friend, attending every New York City-area show Springsteen played, including a performance in Newark, New Jersey, just months before his passing. “He guided the listening public towards so much powerful and inspiring music,” Springsteen noted. “And he not only loved music, Clive actually loved the people who made the music, no matter how much of a pain in the ass they were. And he loved those people deeply and permanently. With his loyalty, he let me know that that was always the way he felt about me, and I loved him back.”
Springsteen was one of several prominent figures to speak at the service, joining Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, and Alicia Keys in honoring the late mogul. The service also featured musical tributes from Kenny G and Jennifer Hudson.
The Audition That Changed Everything
Reflecting on his 1972 audition, Springsteen shared the nerves of a young musician arriving in New York on a bus from Asbury Park. “I walked into Clive’s elegant office, and the minute I walked in, Clive came around the desk, and he took my hand in his, and he said, ‘John has told me so much about you. I can’t wait to hear you.’”
After playing “Growin’ Up” and “Saint in the City,” Springsteen recalled Davis simply saying, “Welcome to Columbia Records.” That moment, Springsteen emphasized, changed his life forever. “It’s the moment, you know, the one where, if you’re talented, if you’re lucky enough, an artist comes but once in your life, just once — if the right man is listening to you from across that big desk. For me now and forever, Clive Davis was that right man.”
Springsteen concluded his tribute by acknowledging the end of an era. “The world that Clive was such a wonderful representative of has now vanished completely with his passing. It was the world of the great record man… men who defined, loved, and sustained the record business from their viewpoint at the top desk on down.”
