Clive Davis funeral – Alicia Keys cries, Springsteen shares emotional speech

Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and more stars are turning out to honor Clive Davis.

The funeral ceremony for Davis, the famed record mogul who played a key role in the careers of A-list artists like Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more, took place in New York on June 29. The service, which was streamed online, featured emotional remarks and performances from a string of major singers who worked with him.

Keys, who met Davis when she was a teenager, cried as she began her eulogy, which was written in the form of a letter to him.

"You saw something in me that I was only just beginning to see in myself, and that's a gift I'll never fully be able to repay, only honor," Keys said. "You didn't just sign an artist. You recognized a soul."

In a similarly emotional eulogy, Barry Manilow, whose career ignited with a song, "Mandy," that Davis brought to him, said the late producer has "always been there for me" and "believed in me" from the start.

"A few months ago, surgeons removed a piece of my lung," said Manilow, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2025. "Last week, I lost a piece of my heart."

Springsteen reflected on how Davis "changed my life forever" and showed him the "same warmth, the same kindness, the same respect" when he was a "22-year-old nobody" as he did "after all my success for the next 50 years."

"Just about every meaningful event that occurred in my long work life, Clive made sure he was there," Springsteen continued. "As recently as a few months ago, Clive attended my Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour in Newark. He's 94 years old. He's standing up for a three-hour show!"

Doug Davis, Clive's son, read a note from Paul Simon, who was unable to attend. In his written eulogy, the Simon & Garfunkel singer looked back on their "lifelong friendship" of nearly 60 years and said he wishes they could "have spent more time together." Simon also revealed that Davis asked him for a ticket to one of his upcoming concerts just a few weeks ago.

"When I play that night, I'll be singing for everyone, but in my heart, I'll be dedicating the night to the man in the empty seat, dead center in the tenth row," Simon wrote.

Dionne Warwick remembered Davis as a "dear friend" and said that she "adored" him. "He cared about Dionne. There was not anything that he ever did that I didn't get the first phone call. 'You will be there, right?' "

Jennifer Hudson sings at Clive Davis funeral

The funeral service also featured an emotional performance by Jennifer Hudson, who fought back tears as she sang "Hallelujah" followed by "I Will Always Love You."

"We love you, Clive," she said as she finished the latter song.

Clive Davis funeral live stream

Clive Davis cause of death

Davis died "peacefully from age-related illness" at his Manhattan home on June 22, "surrounded by his family and loved ones," his family confirmed in a statement shared with USA TODAY. He was 94. The influential music executive helped foster the career of artists ranging from Manilow to Keys, and he threw a star-studded Pre-Grammy Gala each year.

Before his death, Davis had been hospitalized for an upper respiratory infection.

Many artists previously shared emotional tributes to Davis and reflected on the significant impact he had on their lives.

In a statement on Instagram, Springsteen remembered Davis as a "great man," who "changed my life" when he signed him to Columbia Records.

Manilow, in a statement shared with USA TODAY, also said that Davis was "family" to him.

"My heart is heavy with the loss of my friend Clive Davis. For fifty years we worked together, created together, argued together, and celebrated together," Manilow said. "Yes, some would say it was business. But to Clive, it never was. It was family. And I was honored to be a part of his. Thank you, Clive. I wish we could do it all again."

Contributing: Charlie Carballo