“The Soundtrack of Our Lives” A Tribute to the Legendary CLIVE DAVIS @ Carnegie Hall With The New York POPS and A Star-Studded Spectacular by Eileen Shapiro
The renowned Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, which has hosted countless historic events, was the scene on April 29 of a once in a lifetime, dazzling extravaganza, “The Soundtrack of Our Lives”: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis and the 41st birthday celebration of the New York Pops. The stage unmasked conductor Steven Reineke in front of the eyes of the sold out, who’s-who audience and then, one by one, each iconic artist appeared to pay homage to a man they love and admire and who, in many cases, discovered them for world stardom.
The lineup included the divine artists who set the background music to our lives, providing an emotional pipeline that makes the dust in the world seem less drab. Right off the bat, John Mellencamp took the stage to a standing ovation and did a tribute to both Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. He was followed by new artist Courtney Hadwin and her flawlessly sung Janis Joplin, and then Avery Wilson (the scarecrow in Broadway’s The Wiz revival). It wasn’t long before the legendary Barry Manilow appeared to sing “Mandy”, and then they just kept coming: Dionne Warwick, Fantasia, Patty Smyth, Ray Parker Jr. and his Ghostbusters (a barrage of musical students), Melissa Manchester, Babyface, and rapper Busta Rymes. There were more ovations than stars in the sky.
The festivities continued with an appearance by songwriter extraordinaire Diane Warren, who announced singer Adrienne Warren (no relation). Carlos Santana later captured the stage, following Art Garfunkel and his son, Art Garfunkel Jr. Later, Deborah Cox performed an emotional “I Will Always Love You” and then Barry returned with a brand new song, recently produced by Clive, who still goes to work everyday for Sony Records. Other artists included Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Valarie Simpson, Ruben Studdard, and Rob Thomas.
Clive Davis himself–garbed in a dazzling, viridescent, sequent jacket–watched the festivities from his VIP box, along with Greg Schriefer and political icon Nancy Pelosi. Davis has impacted the music industry while playing a major role in the careers of countless artists in every genre including: Janis Joplin, Chicago, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Simon and Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, the Grateful Dead, Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, and a marathon of others. His autobiography, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, has become the largest selling book involving music history. He has earned four Grammys as a producer and has received the Grammy Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A climatic grand finale led by Dionne Warwick, which included the cast singing “That’s What Friends Are For”, ended the stage performances, but the party continued with a dinner and dance gala at the ballroom of the Mandarin Orient. There the artists, including songwriters Desmond Child, Denise Rich, and Diane Warren, joined others like Tony Danza, Darius Houston, and yes, Nancy Pelosi in a socializing spectacular that lasted beyond midnight.
Music is the heartbeat of the world. “Let the music of words and the literature of notes harmonize within you, for in this Symphony of expression, we discover the melody of our existence.”….Ramona I.
