On Saturday night (Jan. 31), legendary record executive Clive Davis and the Recording Academy will host their annual Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. It will be the 51st edition of the event, which was turned into a fundraiser last year following the devastating Los Angeles fires.
The party is one of the most coveted invitations of the year, drawing A-listers from the worlds of entertainment, sports and politics and featuring an array of one-of-a-kind performances from newcomers and icons alike.
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Davis tells Billboard the party is a highlight of his year too, and it makes him feel good that it is still as “alive and anticipated” more than a half-century later.
Prior to the party, Davis’ protégé Whitney Houston will be honored posthumously with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. To be sure, asking Davis his favorite Houston song is, as he says, akin to asking him his favorite child. Instead, he settles for a major moment.
“I can’t separate the thrill of the seven consecutive No. 1 records we had because I would listen to a demo from music publishers, I would listen with my A&R staff to hundreds and narrow it down to 12 or 13, meet with Whitney for the album and to realize from hearing the demo to having the record recorded, to having the record released, to have it explode to No. 1 seven times” was incredibly special, he says.
Davis, an avid Billboard reader, also noted “I was both surprised but gratified” in October 2023 when Billboard named Houston’s 1987 hit, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me”)” the No. 1 Greatest Pop Song of all time. He recalls hearing the Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill-penned demo for the first time and sending it to producer Narada Michael Walden, who modified it for Houston to make it more soulful. Davis and Houston were musical soulmates, despite the differences in their ages and background, he says, which led to their ability to create magic over and over.
In the interview, Davis also reveals some unbelievable pairings that he still can’t believe he pulled off at past parties and the guests that remain on his wish list to attend.
Though the performances are kept top-secret until showtime, Davis says that Olivia Dean and Alex Warren are two new artists who have caught his eye. Not secret are the Industry Icons honored at the event, who this year are brothers Monte and Avery Lipman, founder/chairman and founder/vice chairman of Republic Collective, respectively.