Simon Cowell is busier than ever. As well as the new series of America's Got Talent, he's currently celebrating chart success with December 10, who landed in the Top 5 with their debut EP.
"I'm thrilled for the boys," he told Music Week following the chart result last week. "The fans from day one have been amazing. The writer-producers have been incredible. And then behind them is a lot of people who have worked really, really hard. This is more than I could have hoped for at this point. Im genuinely thankful for everyone who’s helped and supported the boys."
In the new edition of Music Week, our Big Story is a celebration of the life and times of industry legend Clive Davis, who died last month. Cowell, of course, worked with Davis on breaking X Factor winner Leona Lewis in the US.
Lewis, whose debut album Spirit has sold more than eight million copies worldwide, told Music Week that working with Davis was an “incredible experience”.
“His passion for music and exceptional songs was so inspiring, and our shared love of both created a truly special bond,” she said. “He believed in me from the very beginning, and his guidance and unwavering support helped shape the artist I am today and will stay with me forever.”
As well as UK-focused tributes from Lewis and Ged Doherty, we spoke to Simon Cowell for his reflections on working with Clive Davis, his former BMG/Sony Music colleague. Here's a chance to read the interview in full including early memories of American Idol, reflections on the industry and the lessons Clive Davis taught him...
How did Clive Davis influence you personally?
“He was one of those people who was so impactful. When I was an A&R guy and you got the summons – ‘Mr Davis would like to meet you’ – that’s when you knew things were going well. He was a great mentor, and he did have this unbelievably good ear for songs. I remember the first time I heard Whitney [Houston] singing I Will Always Love You. I went, ‘Oh my God, that’s incredible.’ And he said, ‘Have you heard the original?’ So he played me the original – and I never would have seen that turn into [Houston’s version].”
How did he have such a golden touch with multiple artists?
“If you look at his background, and then what he turned himself into, it’s astonishing. He had that rare ability to know when an artist was a real artist, and when a great song was a great song – and also, how to interpret an old song into arguably a better version than the original.”
When did you first meet him?
“I know it was at the Dorchester Hotel, because he always stayed at the Dorchester. I would have been in my very early 30s [in the early 1990s] working at BMG. I was very nervous about meeting him, because he was what you think of as an industry mogul. But I always found him incredibly generous with his time. He wasn’t one of those egomaniacs who thought ‘everything’s about me’. It was all about recognising other people’s efforts – I can say that from my own personal experience.”
You were both executives who became as high-profile as the artists – did you talk about that?
“We’d laugh about it! We never took it seriously. He was immensely proud of what he did. One of the TV networks made a special once; it was [all about] his artists. He had a cinema in his house, and I was looking at him watching it. I could see what it meant to him.”
He was a great mentor, and he did have this unbelievably good ear for songs
Simon Cowell
How did you end up working with him on Leona Lewis in the US?
“I got a call from him the night she sang Summertime on The X Factor [October 2006]. I got home pretty late, the phone rang, and it was Clive. He went, ‘Your girl’s a superstar, Simon.’ This was before social media, so he got wind of it pretty quick. He recognised she had that star power.”
He was focused on building career artists but he saw TV singing competitions as a good source of talent, didn’t he?
“Without question. I do remember going to meet with him after Kelly Clarkson won [American] Idol [on which Cowell was a judge]. I remember saying to him, ‘I really think we have a bona fide A-lister here, Clive, and I really need you all over this.’ There was a pause, and he went, ‘Simon, you’re right, and I will’, and that’s all I needed to hear. He ensured that she was a priority artist [at RCA], whereas others, perhaps at that point, might have thought she’s just a talent show winner. But he recognised that she was a proper artist.”
There was a falling out between Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson at one point...
"You know what, sometimes for whatever reason people don't click. But as far as he was concerned, there were absolutely no hard feelings. Sometimes when you got two very, very strong-minded people – because Kelly is, which is what I love about her, and Clive certainly was – sometimes that can happen."
Did he give you any advice about how to handle the industry?
“Well, we talked a lot about how, when you work for a large corporation, it’s dog-eat-dog. He had his ups and downs, like everybody does, but he always had this passion – not just for artists, but also [for building the team] who worked at the label.”
What do you think his legacy will be?
“It’s a good question. If you look at what he saw in Whitney – and they were very, very close, I heard it from Whitney herself, what Clive had done for her – I think he was more than just an executive. He really loved her. Out of everything he achieved, that was the biggest. If he’d just done that, that’s big enough. But then you look at everything else. I remember the first time he played me TLC’s first record; I went, ‘Oh my God, this is unbelievable.’”
Were there lessons you learned from him?
“He taught me a lot about the importance of the song, more than anything else. If you find that artist – whether it’s a solo artist or a band – you stick with them, and then it’s all about the song. He also had a great sense of humour; I always found him hilarious. I really enjoyed his company. I thought he was very stylish. There would be the occasional call I would get from him, which was, ‘Here we go, I’m going to get a bit of a bollocking.’ It would last for about 10 seconds, and then we’d move on. It was probably about choosing the wrong song or rushing a release. I was lucky enough to work with him, and there’s no question I learned a lot from him. When I heard the news… well, he had a great innings. However, it’s just not the same without him.”
Subscribers can read our full Clive Davis obituary here.
Click here to read our cover feature from earlier this year on December 10, who featured in Netflix series Simon Cowell: The Next Act.
MAIN PHOTO: Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
ARCHIVE PHOTOS: Clive Davis, guest judge with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul on American Idol in 2005 (Photo by Ray Mickshaw/WireImage), Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson (photo by L Busacca)
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