Clive Davis, the legendary music producer who helped bring names like Whitney, Alicia, and now Leona into the forefront has been demoted from his job as CEO of the BMG Label Group.
Davis, who is 74, is now the chief creative officer (I know, sounds like BS, right) of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. According to execs at Sony BMG, he will continue to work with top artists, presumably Whitney, Leona, and the American Idol finalists, but is no longer in control of the company's direction. That job now belongs to Barry Weiss. Weiss is responsible for many teen sensations, including Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.
The news will definitely shake up the music industry, which has been in a rather steep decline since the beginning of the decade. This wouldn't be the first time Clive and Sony BMG had issues. To much shock and anger, Sony BMG fired Clive from his CEO position at Arista Records, a record label he founded. After forming the successful J Records, Sony BMG brought him back into their fold, giving him control of their major labels.
The news is even more of a shock considering his latest signing, international superstar Leona Lewis, just topped both the US singles and albums charts this week. Her single, "Bleeding Love" and her album Spirit, both sold over 200,000 copies this week, a large number for a new artist. It is unknown how his ouster will affect her career and the countless others who he helped.
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