IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
How the Davis brood has fashioned the pre-grammy gala into music’s hottest ticket
In many ways, Clive and Doug Davis are just like any other loving fatherson pair: they travel together, celebrate holidays and, since they are both in the music business, collaborate on various industry-related projects such as Clive’s 2013 autobiography “The Soundtrack of My Life” and its companion documentary, “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives,” for which Doug produced the premiere opening night party at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, a fete that included a screening of the film for 6,000 people and a live concert featuring Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hud- son, Carly Simon, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
“When I see Sony come up on my cell phone, I don’t know if it’s real business and I should answer or if it’s a sneak attack from my dad,” jokes Doug of their close relationship.
One of the most gratifying professional partnerships Davis and his father get to experience is the annual Clive Davis’ and the Recording Academy’s pre- Grammy gala — a party that Clive has hosted since 1976 and that Doug has produced for the past decade. Considered one of the hottest tickets in town, the 2018 event was held in New York City for the first time in 15 years, with 1,000 guests in attendance, including Grammy nominees, top music biz executives and rock royalty ranging from Joni Mitchell to Jay-z and Beyonce.
“The party is a tremendous amount of work, but it’s also a huge reward for me personally because of the camaraderie I get to have with my father,” says Doug. “When you put on an event it’s like going to war. and we have a battle-tested relationship. I get to speak to him four times a day during Grammy season; I’m closer to my father as an adult than I was as a child. I know people generally don’t have that same relationship with their parents. He’s become one of my best friends. He’s not just a business mentor — he’s the first person I turn to for advice.”
While pulling off a celeb-