Clive Davis passed away at 94 last week, leading to tributes of all sorts from the music and business world. The Arista Records founder and renowned executive forged many careers during his time, including the rise of Diddy and his Bad Boy Records label. But according to a new report from RadarOnline, his funeral's organizers allegedly did not invite anyone from Bad Boy to the service.
The funeral took place at Manhattan's Central Synagogue today (Monday, June 29). The outlet claimed multiple sources confirmed the lack of Bad Boy invites, including one statement to Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice. "You can't tell the story of Clive Davis without telling the story of Diddy. Bad Boy wasn't a side project. It was one of the defining chapters of Clive's career," an alleged source reportedly stated.
Clive Davis & Diddy's Relationship
"Diddy adored Clive," another alleged source reportedly expressed. "He saw him as a mentor, a father figure, and a friend. Their bond was real." Allegations around Diddy and Clive Davis' relationship have floated around for a long time, and they are resurfacing in the wake of Davis' passing.
Back in 2022, Clive Davis spoke glowingly of Diddy and how he changed his perspective on hip-hop. "Sensing the hip-hop revolution, both L.A. [Reid] and I agreed that we could use someone really attuned to the street," he said on the Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg podcast. "When I met with Puffy, he articulated that hip-hop should be part of the Top 40 mainstream, and that the business would change in the future. And I said, ‘What have you got to illustrate that point?,’ and he played me Craig Mack’s ‘Flava in Your Ear’ and he played me the then unknown artist that he felt and believed so strongly. He played me four or five cuts from The Notorious B.I.G."
While the RadarOnline report does not name a reason for Bad Boy's reported exclusion from the funeral, Diddy's misconduct scandal could be a possible explanation. But that's not confirmed. In any case, it's clear the legacy of Clive Davis will not exist without Bad Boy Records.
