MANHATTAN — Clive Davis, a music executive, died at the age of 94 at his home in Manhattan. He had been hospitalized with respiratory problems prior to his death.

Davis was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 4, 1932. He graduated from New York University and Harvard Law School. He worked at private law firms before joining the legal department at Columbia Records in the early 1960s.

Davis became head of Columbia Records in 1966. He signed artists including Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company to Columbia Records after seeing them perform at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Additional artists he signed to Columbia Records included Chicago, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, Billy Joel, Sly and the Family Stone, and Boz Scaggs.

CBS fired Davis from Columbia Records in 1973. CBS filed a $94,000 lawsuit against him related to expense accounts, which was settled out of court. Davis pleaded guilty to failure to pay taxes on job-related expenses and was fined $10,000.

In 1974, Davis founded the record label Arista. He signed Barry Manilow and Patti Smith as some of the first artists to the label. In 1983, Davis discovered and signed Whitney Houston to Arista Records. He served as a producer on Houston's song "I Will Always Love You," which held the No. 1 spot on the charts for 14 weeks.

BMG Entertainment ousted Davis from Arista in 2000. After leaving Arista, he founded J Records, where he signed Alicia Keys and Luther Vandross. In 2008, Davis was named chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. "Talent comes to me because they believe I've established a creative haven in which they can flourish. And talent attracts talent," Davis said.

Davis won five Grammy Awards. Four of these Grammys were for producing works by Kelly Clarkson, Carlos Santana, and Jennifer Hudson. He won a fifth Grammy for his contributions to music. Patti Smith inducted Davis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Smith said, "I really felt Clive, whatever his mainstream reputation... does love artists."

Davis revealed he was bisexual in his 2013 memoir, "The Soundtrack of My Life." He was married and divorced twice and had four children. The Davis family released a statement that read, "To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives." The statement added, "He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations."