When one thinks of the music business’s greatest evening, it could be exhausting to not additionally anticipate all of the glamorous occasions and events main as much as the Grammy Awards. And one specifically has grow to be an annual custom for many years, making it the go-to spot for A-listers.
Music govt Clive Davis‘ pre-Grammy gala has been going down the evening earlier than the awards ceremony since 1976. And the white-hot celebration is thought for its shock performances and duets, star-studded visitor listing, and as Davis places it, its “dazzling viewers.”
The Grammy-winning producer even admitted that the visitor “demand is the best it’s ever been,” which made turning individuals away much more troublesome this 12 months. Particularly since he famous this 12 months’s performances will function a mix of “nice all-time performers, nice new performers.”
Days earlier than the occasion on the Beverly Hilton Resort, music business and press insiders had been within the space for credentialing when an “lively menace” from an unnamed particular person occurred on the close by Waldorf Astoria. The Beverly Hills Police Division later mentioned officers had “detained a suspect and can stay on scene to analyze.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Davis talks about a few of his favourite previous “electrifying” performances on the annual celebration, the strain to make every gala higher than the final and he teases the star-studded visitor listing.
Music govt Jon Platt is being honored on the gala with the Grammy Salute To Business Icons Awards, and he’s shut with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Does that imply we will count on them on Saturday?
They are going to be there on Saturday, sure, they are going to be within the viewers.
Are there another large names you possibly can share that will probably be in attendance this 12 months?
From the world of sports activities, Scottie Pippen and Martina Navratilova will probably be there. From politics, in fact, Nancy Pelosi will probably be there. There’ll be all the key gamers from Apple and Spotify and nearly each head of each main label in addition to stars who’ve by no means been there earlier than. And it’s actually thrilling! It truly is gonna be a blinding viewers.
In terms of your annual gala, how troublesome is it to show down visitors?
It’s troublesome as a result of with a purpose to organize, with a purpose to accommodate a few of the newer main gamers that have gotten to be there on the earth of streaming and social media and movie and leisure, you clearly should do some cuts. So whether or not it’s passing the baton or asking that the individual come and not using a plus one, we’ve needed to. [The] viewers’s finite quantity is 950 due to all of our manufacturing amenities. And you understand, it’s painful to try this, however we have now to.
Who’s probably the most well-known individual you’ve needed to flip down?
I actually couldn’t politely reply to that. … [And] not a lot well-known individuals which might be turned down, [but] there are people who have had a serious profession who might need been allowed to convey their wives and to say, “Look, we by no means would flip you down, however you possibly can’t have a plus one.”
Do you ever really feel any strain to make every celebration extra memorable than the final?
You at all times attempt to make it the most effective ever. And by holding that bar up there and that customary up there, by some means we do it as a result of yearly when it ends, all of them say, “My God, as nice because the historical past has been, it’s the most effective ever.” So understanding that we’ve heard it time and time once more, that’s our customary to make it the most effective ever.
Trying again, what are a few of your most memorable performances and duets all through the years at previous events?
I keep in mind the 12 months that I established the most effective new artist class [at my gala] — it was round 2001 — I keep in mind going to Alicia [Keys] and saying, “I received excellent news and possibly dangerous information.” I mentioned, “The excellent news is that I’m establishing the most effective new artist class this 12 months and also you had been gonna be in that spot, so I’m gonna ask you to carry out ‘Fallin’ at my Grammy celebration.” And he or she mentioned, “Effectively, that’s tremendous. What’s conceivably the dangerous information?” I mentioned, “Effectively, the dangerous information is, is that proper earlier than I introduce you — and I like a juxtaposition — I’m gonna hold Gladys Knight on stage after she does ‘Neither One among Us’ [with Angie Stone]. After which with Gladys being an all-time nice performer, I’m gonna ask her to remain up and sing ‘Midnight Prepare to Georgia.’ In order that’s a basic, and the way compelling it’s if one of many biggest of all-time sings her basic [song] after which we’re gonna welcome you to the business as a model new artist as a recent new expertise, and I’m gonna ask you to do ‘Fallin’.” She mentioned, “, I can solely do my greatest.” [Alicia] had uncommon maturity even there in the beginning of her profession. And that was memorable as a result of each Gladys and Alicia had been spectacular.
After which after that 12 months and after Alicia received many Grammys and the album [Songs in A Minor] went multiplatinum, I keep in mind saying to her, “Alicia, what’s your subsequent dream?” And he or she mentioned, “, my dream can be to sing at your Grammy celebration, a duet with Aretha Franklin.” She mentioned, “I might be blown away to try this.” And I keep in mind granting that dream and I keep in mind the good duet that Alicia and Aretha did collectively at my Grammy celebration.
Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys on the 2003 pre-Grammy gala
KMazur/WireImage
How are you maintaining and ensuring your gala is the go-to occasion yearly as an increasing number of pre-Grammy occasions pop up?
I don’t have to verify. Yearly with out posting, it’s the celebration. It’s the distinctive celebration. It isn’t a celebration simply to have cocktails and dinner. It’s a night to have fun music with each all-time artists and new artists with riveting consideration solely.
It’s the thirtieth anniversary of if you received the album of the 12 months Grammy alongside Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard soundtrack. How does that really feel, and what do you keep in mind most about Whitney at the moment?
What I keep in mind about Bodyguard — and it was poignantly described [at] final 12 months’s occasion by Kevin Costner who launched me — [was] that the movie, when it was accomplished as Whitney’s first movie, was despatched to me at Christmas time. I used to be in St. Barts. There was no music within the movie. You didn’t know why Whitney wanted a bodyguard, you didn’t really feel the chemistry between Whitney and the chance to interface with Kevin. And so I wrote a protracted letter to Kevin and his director, Mick Jackson, and I mentioned you may count on this, however please perceive, I do know the world of movie. I used to be on the board of CBS once they received into movie, I’m on the board of Columbia Footage. So I mentioned you’ve got to indicate why Whitney wanted a bodyguard. You’ve received to indicate her stardom, and this movie is crying out for music and her alternative to indicate why there’s nobody like her on the earth singing at the moment. And Kevin, as he described in introducing me final 12 months, purchased into that; he was not defensive. The opposite man went on the sidelines and between Kevin and David Foster and myself; we had been those that introduced “Run to You,” “I Have Nothing,” “I’m Each Lady,” “I Will At all times Love You,” and so on. into the movie the place Whitney simply wrote so excessive in her performing life. And that basically has created the usual of the movie, you understand, nonetheless being proven everywhere in the world. It actually turned a basic movie. And my involvement, together with David Foster and Kevin’s, actually cemented a friendship that has grow to be a lifelong one. And it was very poignant as a result of Kevin actually reminisced and advised the story final 12 months on the celebration.
Kevin Costner and Clive Davis attend the 2023 pre-Grammy gala
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Photos for The Recording Academy
Are you able to tease what attendees can count on from this 12 months’s shock performances?
The opening performer [has] by no means performed the Grammys earlier than, [has] by no means performed my celebration earlier than, and I feel they’re gonna simply electrify the gang from the very first artist. After which we’re gonna have a model new artist, a model new Grammy nominee, observe the primary artist and it’s gonna be like that all through the evening. Simply nice music, nice all-time performers, nice new performers and an thrilling combination, which exhibits why music is such an exquisite profession for these of us who’re lucky to have had it.
So it appears like one other evening with jaw-dropping performances.
Effectively, that’s what it’s been (Laughs). I received my fingers crossed. Consider me, I fear too. The entire thing, I don’t take something as a right, however I’m actually excited!
