The annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala will make its grand in-person return on Saturday night time (Feb. 4) for the primary time since 2020 because of the pandemic. And naturally, the legend guarantees it to be probably the most stellar, most star-studded one but.
The 2023 gala will honor Atlantic executives Craig Kallman, CEO and chairman of Atlantic Data, and Julie Greenwald, CEO and chairman of Atlantic Music Group. Atlantic Data’ roster contains Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Lizzo, Jack Harlow and extra. The label scored 40 nominations at this 12 months’s Grammys.
Whereas talking with Billboard days earlier than his anticipated occasion, Davis reveals that two Atlantic superstars will carry out. He additionally spoke of a duet between a “Latin celebrity” and a “main rock hero” — which Davis first teased earlier this week on the Billboard Energy 100 occasion, joking that “I’ve by no means adopted Dangerous Bunny earlier than.”
Davis additionally revealed how and when he begins to plan such a formidable get together 12 months after 12 months, and shared the one factor he does proper after every gala involves an finish.
“The demand for tickets is all the time intense,” he says. “And the problem is to supply a present, not alternatives to cite ‘shmooze.’ It’s the present that everyone writes me of the recollections.”
However no matter who reveals up and who performs this 12 months, Davis has just one hope, “That it achieves what all of the others did: that now we have a celebration of music.”
The large dialog level for you this 12 months is that this gala is coming again after three years. When did the planning begin?
, you can not plan till the Grammy nominations happen, as a result of if you need somebody who must be nominated — and you recognize that there have been surprises in recent times with individuals that ought to have been nominated and acquired no nomination — so no person will decide to being in L.A. Grammy week. So we look forward to the day that the Grammy Award nominations come out. Nevertheless, we are not any manner by any means slaves to only have Grammy nominees carry out. I imply, I’ve reached again. I assumed eight years in the past, “It’s time for Taylor Swift to see Johnny Mathis.” I introduced out Johnny Mathis and I’m taking a look at Taylor from the stage and I’m saying, “Taylor, congratulations on all that you just’re doing. You’ve most likely by no means seen the subsequent performer as a result of he not often excursions, however he’s up there with Sinatra. The best of all time. And an album of his biggest hits was on the Billboard 200 for 10 consecutive years.” She did her trademark gasp after which I introduced Johnny on to do his biggest hits. I’ve a model of that in thoughts for Saturday night time. One thing completely different, which I can’t discuss, but it surely’s an evening that celebrates music.
Sure, Nancy Pelosi is coming for the twenty third consecutive 12 months, and he or she’ll be there together with her husband, Paul. All people shall be touched that he’s effectively sufficient to return. However the viewers has yearly the highest main individuals who run corporations everywhere in the world, music publishers but additionally networks and movement image studios and sports activities representatives. I imply, Magic Johnson comes yearly and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Chris Bosh, CC Sebathia… in the event you love music, you wish to be there. So the demand for tickets is all the time intense. And the problem is to supply a present, not alternatives to cite “shmooze,” it’s the present that everyone writes me of the recollections. That they noticed Whitney with Natalie Cole. That they noticed Alicia Keys duet with Aretha Franklin. That they noticed Rod Stewart on the peak of the Nice American Songbook sing with Lou Reed and Slash. As I discussed, I didn’t know I’d be following Dangerous Bunny [at the Power 100 event]. So it did set off [me discussing] Latin music, what has occurred with him and Rosalia, with Anitta and so many others. I’m actually happy that now we have a novel duet Saturday night time of a significant rock hero with a Latin celebrity, and I used to be more than happy to level that out being within the place of following Dangerous Bunny. This got here from the rock artist that his two songs he wish to do with the foremost Latin star. And I don’t know whether or not they ever labored collectively earlier than. I had not heard of such, but it surely’s killer, as they are saying. A killer combo.
The gala is honoring Atlantic Data’ Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald this 12 months. You’ve identified them for a while, do you have got a favourite reminiscence having labored collectively?
I don’t work with them. I compete with them. As a result of Craig may be very shut with two of my sons, Fred Davis and Doug Davis, now we have gotten personally pleasant. We’re Jewish and now we have Passover dinners and Craig has attended together with his spouse a number of of my Passover dinners. So we’re actually good prolonged mates, prolonged household.
When making the visitor record, how do you discover the best stability between inviting legends and the newer artists that you just’re all the time so good at recognizing?
Now we have yearly given the Icon winner a possibility to choose two artists, and now we have about 9 artists that we present. So the Icon part often doesn’t happen till after 5 or 6 artists have appeared that haven’t any relationship to the Icon. I can’t let you know proper now, however there are undoubtedly two very, very, very proficient Atlantic artists performing and I imagine that an Atlantic Data artist will introduce a part of the section verbally, which is a pleasant contact that we’ve by no means had earlier than. In order that they’ll undoubtedly be, efficiency clever, at the very least two Atlantic artists.
What’s thrilling to you in music proper now?
What hip-hop has develop into. My concern was and has been that hip-hop has so dominated not solely its personal style however Prime 40, that I fear the place the subsequent Bob Dylan, the place the subsequent Bruce Springsteen goes to return from. I ponder the place the subsequent Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston is. It’s not simple, even for the most important voices which can be round, though I’m inspired by what’s taking place with SZA and Jazmine Sullivan and some others. As I see hip-hop broadening its imaginative and prescient and mixing with R&B or seeing artists of pop and folks and rock broaden their horizons, I’m seeing a broadening of musical affect. However we’ve acquired to ensure as thrilling as Kendrick Lamar and Drake are and as fantastic as hip-hop stars are, that we don’t slender the breadth of what modern music is all about.
After the gala, what’s the very first thing that you just do?
We go to the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Lodge and do the postmortem. when you have got a celebration, whether or not or not it’s a marriage or one other occasion, that you really want the postmortem to assessment what occurred and get the reactions. You wish to stew about it, gossip about it, get pleasure from it. In order that’s what I do.
Is there one postmortem that stands out probably the most, the place you all couldn’t imagine what had simply occurred?
what’s shocking, and it occurs yearly, and possibly that’s why it’s lasted as lengthy, is yearly in a heartfelt, trustworthy manner, the postmortem is, “This was the very best get together ever.” I can’t imagine how yearly, with a straight face, so many say, “This was the very best ever.” When you ask me now, reminiscing — we’re going to place collectively a documentary of the best hits of the best events — it’s onerous to guage which efficiency or reminiscence was most particular.
What’s the most memorable or excessive thanks that you’ve obtained?
I used to be leaving Arista and I made a decision that there’d be solely two artists acting at my Grammy get together that 12 months. There was Carlos Santana performing memorably with Rob Thomas and Wyclef doing “Black Magic Lady,” “Oye Como Va” and “Evil Methods” from the primary time I signed him and “Easy” and “Maria, Maria” from the second. However then Whitney got here on after two memorable speeches of what my work has meant to music. One was from Stevie Surprise and the opposite was from Lauryn Hill, they usually had been each extremely touching. However probably the most touching was Whitney coming to the middle of the stage and singing, “I Imagine in You and Me,” simply to me. After which singing “I Will At all times Love You,” simply to me. So it was a really weak time in life and it was so touching to see her love. Neither of us thought that we’d be again collectively once more two or so years later. However you may’t prime that. You possibly can’t prime these songs sung by Whitney personally expressing her love.
Forward of Saturday night time’s gala, what’s your one hope for this 12 months’s occasion?
That it achieves what all of the others did: that now we have a celebration of music. That they see performances which can be among the many biggest that they might’ve seen. I’ve gotten so many private emails from very celebrated individuals. I’ll provide you with examples of Tim Cook dinner assembly David Hockney for the primary time. Brandi Carlile assembly Joni Mitchell for the primary time. Her hero. It was her first 12 months within the viewers and I acquired to know her as a result of we had been doing 10-20 interviews collectively and what emerged was what a novel heroine Joni was to Brandi. Properly, I put her on the similar desk and it modified each [of their lives]. They’re so shut [now]. So assembly those that they might not in any other case meet, whether or not or not it’s [Barbra] Streisand, Puffy or Pharrell. Trevor [Noah] is coming this 12 months. Simply listening to individuals after they attend the get together saying how particular it’s for them.