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The death of music mogul Clive Davis has sparked renewed interest in the strained relationship he had with Kelly Clarkson. The “American Idol” wins butted heads with Davis during the production of her second album, “Breakaway,” released in 2004. According to Davis’ 2013 memoir, “The soundtrack to my life,” Clarkson wanted to scrap “Since You’ve Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” two of the album’s biggest singles. “It was a very tough conversation, and it didn’t get any easier when Kelly broke down in hysterical sobs,” Davis wrote (via Flavor Wire).
“We all just sat there while she cried for several minutes,” Davis added. “Finally, I said, ‘I don’t know what to say… Your career is really just starting, and I don’t expect you to understand this, but I so want you to love this record.’ He continued, “What you are asking of me is impossible…'”
Clarkson, of course, quickly refuted Davis’ version of events. “So I just heard that Clive Davis is publishing a memoir and spreading false information about me and my music,” she wrote on the social media service WhoSay (via Billboard).”First, he says I broke down in ‘hysterical sobs’ in his office when he demanded ‘Since You Been Gone’ on my album,” she continued, adding, “Not true at all. His stories and songs are mixed up.” Instead, Clarkson claimed that she and her producers struggled to add guitars to the track for a “bigger sound”. She also claimed that she only cried after he criticized “Because of You”, which she co-wrote about her life. “He hated it and told me verbatim that I was a fat writer,” she continued. Of course, this wasn’t the end of things by a long shot.
Kelly Clarkson never backed down from Clive Davis
Kelly Clarkson’s tension with Clive Davis turned into one full blown celebrity feud after she spoke to his memoirs. After her takedown, the music mogul came back with a public statement. “It’s clear that Kelly Clarkson has a decidedly independent streak, to say the least, and often speaks in public before realizing the implications of what she’s saying,” he said (via Billboard ). “However, (her) fans are also drawn to her shoot-from-the-hip style.”
In 2017, Clarkson doubled down on his criticism of Davis when he spoke about his alleged disdain for her song, “Because of You.” According to Clarkson, Davis gathered a bunch of industry executives to bash the song because it didn’t rhyme. “A group of men thought it was OK to sit around a young woman and bully her,” she said Black. “I was told to shut up and sing.” She added: “And then here’s the best part. He (Davis) played me the song that was going to be on the album, which was ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ that I wrote. Am I as ***ty a writer?”
Although it wasn’t exactly one of Hollywood’s nastiest feudit has certainly been long lasting. It was still happening in 2023 when Clarkson summed up their relationship in a simple but direct way. “Here’s the thing, I don’t prefer him and will never barbecue with him,” she said during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.” But she gave credit where credit was due, adding, “But I think he’s had tremendous success with other artists and done really well? Like that, obviously.”
