Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, which later became a part of  BMG, then Sony Music/BMG, has been attached to many tragedies in music, due to how his recording artists imploded. Artists such as Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Lisa "Left Eye Lopes" of TLC, and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli, to name a few.

Davis, a Harvard Law school graduate, signed many artists at CBS/Columbia Records, then formed Arista Records, and years later J Records. There are many instances where Davis put profits ahead of the artists' welfare to their detriment.

Davis knew of problems his artists such as Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston, among others, were having, but chose to focus on finding more music for them to perform, to reap millions in profits, rather that getting them the full time help they needed for their addictions.

Janis Joplin

Clive Davis and Janis Joplin

Joplin died on October 4, 1970  in a Los Angeles hotel room of a heroin overdose coupled with alcohol use. She was 27-years-old. Some question whether Joplin really died of a drug overdose, but it is listed in the coroner's report as her cause of death. Clive was more interested in making hit records than getting Janis sober.

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston

In 2012, Houston died in a Los Angeles hotel room as well. She was 47-years of age and the best selling female artist of all time (in a title which still stands). Houston, who had cocaine in her system, bruising on her body, and a psychotic hanger-on staying with her, Nick Gordon, drowned in a Beverly Hills hotel room bathtub, under suspicious circumstances. I am of the belief Gordon killed her.

5-years later, Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, died the exact same way, via "drowning" in a bathtub with bruising on her body, and Gordon present. A court of law ruled Gordon responsible for Bobbi's death.

However, Gordon should have been held responsible for Whitney's death as well. Davis did very little to get Whitney or Bobbi help for their painfully obvious addictions. He did not want to upset his cash cow by telling her the truth and giving her an ultimatum regarding getting sober.

Badboy Entertainment

Clive Davis and Sean Combs

Music producer and rapper Sean Combs, also known as "Puffy" "P Diddy" and Diddy" signed artists to his Arista Records imprint, Badboy, but so many met with tragedy and disaster. The Notorious BIG was murdered. Shyne went to prison for attempted murder. G Dep went to prison for murder.

Craig Mack and Black Rob died early due to poor health. Rumors abounded for years about Black Rob's sexual health, but it was not proven. 11-year-old Lil Jerome became mentally ill with schizophrenia due to the sick things he was exposed to in the industry.

Usher and Clive Davis are both bisexual

Many producers associated with Badboy developed detrimental vices as well (the Hitmen music production team responsible for many Badboy hits). All the debauchery via sexual promiscuity and rampant cocaine use at the label damaged many lives.

Not to mention, Diddy was formally accused of having sex with underage boys, such as Usher, who was 15-years-old at the time, and Diddy in his late twenties (Diddy Accused Of Having Sex With Underage Boys In Government Investigation).

Milli Vanilli

Milli Vanilli accepting the 1990 "Best New Artist" Grammy that they later returned when the lip-syncing scandal burst

Then there was Milli Vanilla, the duo from Europe comprised of Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, who became famous in the late 1980s, but were later exposed as lip-syncers hired for their good looks. Milli Vanilli won a Grammy for "Best New Artist" then all heck broke loose when they were unmasked as lip-syncers.

Clive Davis distributed Milli Vanilli's diamond selling album entitled "Girl You Know Its True" (diamond = 10,000,000 copies in sales).  When the scandal happened Clive and Arista abandoned them. Fabrice, better known as Fab, stated this in a interview. He insisted Clive knew about the lip-syncing and I believe him. Clive only cares about money and Milli Vanilli took off in Europe and he sought to capitalize on their success by bring them to America.

Milli Vanilli won American Music Awards in 1990

Milli Vanilli ended in tragedy when the cruel teasing and terrible backlash accompanying the scandal resulted in Rob, who became an addict due to industry pressures, being found dead in a hotel room in Germany, having died from an alcohol and prescription pill overdose.

Milli Vanilli were two poor young men who wanted to become entertainers. They met music producer Frank Farian, who heard of them when they performed locally in Germany at clubs. He was intrigued by their stunning looks. He lied to them stating he'd sign them to a record deal, leading them to believe they would be singing.

Frank Farian

However, it is alleged he had stolen a song he heard by a lesser known American R&B/rap group called Numarx. The track was entitled "Girl You Know Its True." It was played at a club in Germany frequented by American military. Hence, American songs being played. There was later some legal wrangling over the rights to the song "Girl You Know Its True." Numark member, Kevin Lyles, went on to become a music executive.

Farian himself was a con artist. After his music career flopped in Germany, when he tried to do R&B music, he hatched a deceitful plan. He heard a song in Germany by a friend of my family, the late Prince Buster, who is a reggae music legend. Farian heard Prince Buster's 1967 reggae song "Al Capone" then ripped it off for his subsequent 1976 track "Baby Do You Wanna Bump."

Farian was so taken with this new style of music, reggae, which was created by my godmother's late husband, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, that Farian began making reggae and disco music under the name Boney M. The reggae track "Do You Wanna Bump" became a radio hit for Farian, who in essence, did it in blackface. Farian released the track with a cover featuring a black woman to mislead the public, as his past attempts at doing black music were rejected by Germany. However, Germany had embraced black artists.

Farian's vocals were so ambiguous, one was not sure if it was a woman or man, but assumed it was a black person. To perpetuate the lie, Farian then hired black Caribbean people to front the music (reggae originates in Jamaica which is in the Caribbean). Farian continued this lie for a decade, singing Boney M's lead male vocals (he added two Jamaican women to the group who actually sang and were unaware of what was going on until it was too late). Boney M went on to sell 80,000,000 albums worldwide. Farian made millions.

Next, Farian lured Rob and Fab (Milli Vanilli) into a similar trap. He played the instrumental for "Girl You Know Its True" and told them he'd sign them for $4,000, which in the 1980s was not a lot, but more than it is now and still something, as some artists were only signed for $10,000.

As they sat in Farian's state of the art studio that Boney M and other big stars had recorded in, Rob and Fab liked the beat for "Girl You Know Its True" and believed they were on their way to becoming famous singers. Broke and hungry for fame, they signed the recording contract with no lawyer representing them. It was a terrible contract. They just didn't know it.

Rob and Fab spent the $4,000 signing fee on rent and food. They also spent it on hair braids and clothes to look like stars for their debut, as Farian told them to improve their image. Farian had photos taken of Rob and Fab. They all came up with the name Milli Vanilli. Milli was the name of Farian's girlfriend and Vanilli rhymed with it. The name was a take on the British pop group Scritti Politti, who at the time had the hit song "Perfect Way."

In the meantime, the beat Farian played for Milli Vanilli was being used in another way. Farian had no intention of letting Rob and Fab sing, as in his estimation their vocals were average. He wanted a huge sound. So Farian quietly hired other session singers to sing on the track "Girl You Know It's True."

It is alleged that Farian did not tell the session singers their voices would be fronted by Rob and Fab. It is also alleged he did not tell Rob and Fab he had not intention of letting them sing, as he just wanted two good looking men to front the group. Based on reports from both sides the session singers and Rob/Fab were kept apart. Farian also had them sign non-disclosure agreements.

Then, Farian dropped "Girl You Know Its True" but with Rob and Fab's photo on the cover of the single. It became a monster hit. When Rob and Fab found out, there were angry. Fab stated they wanted out, but he told them he would sue for reimbursement of the $4,000 signing fee and damages for violating the non-disclosure agreement.

One of the session singers tried to expose the scandal and Farian threatened him as well. He then bribed the session singer/rapper. They were all made to go along with the deception, though they knew it was wrong. Milli Vanilli made millions for Farian. However, it cost Rob Pilatus his life. Rob later said he felt like he'd sold his soul to the devil regarding the Milli Vanilli deception.

As someone who writes and produces music, I can safely state Farian did not have to do this, as he could have permitted Rob and Fab to perform on the albums. I heard Rob and Fab's real voices via online song clips from the early 1990s after the scandal broke.

Farian could have made Rob a singer or rapper and instrumentalist (he had played piano and guitar since he was young). He could have made Fab a singer or rapper as well. Fab had the better voice of the two. All he had to do was transpose some of the music to keys more suited to their voices. However, more or less they were able to sing and rap.

Farian could have used the Milli Vanilli session singers who performed on the record to do back-up vocals, making it a band. There was also nothing wrong with how the session singers look. However, two of the men were a bit older (one in his thirties, the other in his forties). The female session singer is pretty and can sing. All of this scandal could have been avoided. However, Farian put style ahead of substance and ruined lives.

I saw a 2018 video of Fab singing and rapping "Girl You Know Its True" at a Los Angeles radio show concert and he sounded good. His voice is not as strong as the session singers who sang "Girl You Know Its True" but he could have pulled it off and Fab could have done select parts of the song in a lower register more suited to his voice.

What Farian did was crazy, unnecessary and deadly. Clive knew it was a scam and amplified it by bringing Milli Vanilli to America and the rest of the world, for tens of millions in profit ($90,000,000). Clive and Farian have Fab's blood on their hands.

Too often label executives and producers/songwriters make unnecessary, greedy and cruel decisions that destroy other people's lives. They do not think about the impact of their conduct on others. All they are thinking about is money. They will use, abuse and discard you to make more of it.

TLC

TLC

Davis made millions of dollars off the girl group TLC, as did BMG. TLC's music grossed approximately half a billion dollars. However, Davis, who as stated above is an attorney, had the contracts deliberately structured so poorly, TLC received very little money off their initial deal.

Davis let TLC's founder and manager, Pebbles, be the scapegoat, when he made far more than she or the imprint label, LaFace Records (LA and Babyface) ever did off TLC. Davis and BMG got the lion's share of the TLC profits and none of the blame, which is an injustice that needs to be corrected in music history books (and will be).

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, went crazy in the industry, after being exposed to Hollywood cultists. She literally lost her mind like Britney Spears did, but the former's schizophrenia was never diagnosed. Left Eye was listening to all the wrong people and they led her astray. Under her mental illness, she caused two accidents in her life that in each incident claimed the life of a child.

TLC, music producer Dallas Austin and Clive Davis (center)

Years ago it was stated the first incident occurred in Atlanta, where under schizophrenia, Left Eye forgot to set the parking break and absentmindedly got out of the vehicle. Left Eye's friend and her baby had to jump out of a moving car that began rolling down an incline. The friend landed on her baby, who died.

The next incident occurred while driving erratically in Honduras. Left Eye was staying at an eccentric, cult-type commune, where she hit a little boy who was crossing a road, and he died. A week later she died while driving erratically and swerving to miss oncoming traffic. The SUV full of people veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. Left Eye was the only fatality, while others suffered minor injuries.

TLC, L.A. Reid and Pebbles

Clive knew Lisa was mentally ill, drinking heavily and taking drugs, not to mention instigating trouble between the group and Pebbles, the group and LaFace, then between herself and her band mates with her solo album challenge. However, only caring about profits, Clive glossed over her mental illness and addictions that were apparent to many.

Clive also knew of problems coming against LaFace Records, which was founded in 1989. Some in the industry, mainly Madonna, disliked the influence and success the African-American label received. They were being called the new Motown, whereas Madonna's crappy Maverick Records launched in 1992, was struggling.

A poster from the TLC television movie that resulted in a lawsuit by Pebbles and a settlement. What many people do not know is Madonna had a major hand in having the defamatory, vindictive TLC film made (even inserting herself in the film when she had no part in their success). Madonna has also been targeting Pebbles' children. Even music producer Babyface said the TLC movie was wrong in its depiction of Pebbles. Viacom settled the lawsuit filed by Pebbles after her attorneys entered documents into the court record disproving 15 lies in the film they falsely claimed was a non-fiction biopic based on a true story.

LaFace grossed over $1 billion in sales. L.A. and Babyface were named the hottest producers in the industry. Pebbles was proclaimed "the Queen of Atlanta" in Ebony magazine, due to her hit songs, her hand in signing artists to Laface Records who became successful, and helping to run the record company. L.A., Babyface and Pebbles were in essence running the music industry. Madonna was a part of sowing the seeds of discord that eventually ruined their relationships and brought the label down.

Clive Davis and L.A. Reid at the signing of the latter's book "Sing To Me"

As it was told to me by a very credible source regarding Pebbles, "She was running the industry. Madonna became jealous and dragged her down." Pebbles did a lot of work at LaFace. She created their biggest act, TLC. She signed Tony Rich who had a huge hit with pop and adult contemporary radio staple, "Nobody Knows It But Me."

Pebbles helped shape Toni Braxton and Usher's careers. She brought in producers Organized Noize, who did tracks for Laface artists TLC, Outkast and Goodie Mob. Organized Noize also went on to work with many other acts. Pebbles is the one who discovered them, among other producers.

Babyface left his wife for Tracey Edmonds. Then LaFace records fell apart in a dispute over money. Tracey tried to recreate the success of the Atlanta based LaFace Records in Los Angeles with a label in Los Angeles she started called Yab Yum, but it failed to do so.

Pebbles is not aware of the full extent of what transpired regarding Madonna. However, there is some animosity, as Pebbles slammed Madonna on Twitter.com a couple years ago over her late friend, Whitney Houston. I also learned about something very foul Madonna has done regarding Pebbles and her family, but I will keep that one to myself for now.

Whitney Houston and Kevin Coster's "The Bodyguard" was a massive hit. The film and soundtrack combined grossed several hundred million dollars.

Speaking of Whitney Houston, in previous articles I wrote of how much Madonna hates Whitney Houston, as she not only dated men Madonna wanted and later dated, (Bobby Brown and Tupac), Kevin Costner, who was Madonna's ex-boyfriend that dumped her, developed a very noticeable crush on Whitney. Psycho Madonna created a massive rivalry with Whitney who by all appearances didn't care.

"The Bodyguard" movie poster

It burned Madonna when Kevin gave Whitney the plum part in the "Bodyguard" as the lead actress, a movie Madonna later whined she could have been starring in. That thing would have massively flopped at the box office with Madonna starring in it and gone down in film history as a joke. Not to mention, the soundtrack would have sounded so bad. If deranged Madonna had gotten her way we never would have heard Whitney's stunning rendition of "I Will Always Love You." Madonna can't sing, dance or act.

Clive's Legacy

Clive's handiwork at Sony, which has been nothing short of greedy, fraudulent and criminal. Artists were robbed of royalties. People's songs, music videos and other intellectual property was stolen. He knew of and participated in the wholesale copyright infringement of many songs, bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud and criminal invasion of privacy.

I've seen Clive in action trying to skirt public responsibility for the evil things he has done and is a part of for money. In the not too distant future his name is going to occupy a disgraceful place in world history when all is exposed.

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