Clive Davis, the influential record executive who worked with major artists including Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, has died at 94. His career also included collaborations with Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Alicia Keys, and Aerosmith.
6:04 PMBBC14 stories from 4 sources
Clive Davis’s death anchors a day of industry transition
Day’s Recap
Supporting Articles
Clive Davis, a long-running record executive who helped shape the careers of major artists including Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, has died at 94. His influence extended across decades and genres, working with acts such as Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Alicia Keys and Aerosmith.
6:04 PMBBCClive Davis has died at 94, prompting tributes from major artists including Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Carlos Santana. The piece frames Davis as a defining music executive who helped launch and sustain careers across multiple eras and genres.
2:40 PMVarietyGoogle DeepMind is partnering with A24 to develop AI-enabled movie production tools aimed at helping filmmakers expand creative options. The effort reportedly includes a roughly $75 million investment from Google into A24.
1:18 PMThe VergeNetflix has named Hannah Minghella as the head of Netflix Animation Studios as it consolidates oversight of its animation efforts. Minghella, who joined in 2024 to run feature animation and live-action family films, will now focus exclusively on leading the animation film slate.
4:22 PMVarietyWarner Bros. Pictures Animation used its Annecy 2026 showcase to announce 'Hazbin Hotel' creator Vivienne Medrano's feature debut, 'Prehistoria,' and to reveal additional voice cast for the upcoming animated feature 'Bad Fairies.' The presentation also outlined more details on the studio's slate of original animated films.
7:31 AMVariety6:04 PMBBC
Clive Davis, music mogul behind Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, dies aged 94
Summary
Clive Davis, the influential record executive who worked with major artists including Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, has died at 94. His career also included collaborations with Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Alicia Keys, and Aerosmith.
Why it matters
His passing reshapes music-industry power narratives and puts valuable catalogs and legacy positioning back in play.
6:04 PMBBC
Clive Davis, music mogul behind Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, dies aged 94
Summary
Clive Davis, a long-running record executive who helped shape the careers of major artists including Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, has died at 94. His influence extended across decades and genres, working with acts such as Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Alicia Keys and Aerosmith.
Why it matters
His death marks the fading of a label-centric power structure that shaped pop music economics and celebrity-making for half a century.
2:40 PMVariety
Clive Davis Remembered by Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana and More: ‘The Visionary Who Transformed Dreams Into Reality’
Summary
Clive Davis has died at 94, prompting tributes from major artists including Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Carlos Santana. The piece frames Davis as a defining music executive who helped launch and sustain careers across multiple eras and genres.
Why it matters
Davis's death closes an era of centralized gatekeeping and will trigger legacy packaging that can move catalog revenue and cultural memory.
1:18 PMThe Verge
Google invests in A24 to build AI movie tools
Summary
Google DeepMind is partnering with A24 to develop AI-enabled movie production tools aimed at helping filmmakers expand creative options. The effort reportedly includes a roughly $75 million investment from Google into A24.
Why it matters
If AI production tools become standard, the winners will capture recurring software spend and influence what content gets made and how fast.
4:22 PMVariety
Netflix Names Hannah Minghella as Animation Studios Chief
Summary
Netflix has named Hannah Minghella as the head of Netflix Animation Studios as it consolidates oversight of its animation efforts. Minghella, who joined in 2024 to run feature animation and live-action family films, will now focus exclusively on leading the animation film slate.
Why it matters
Animation is a durable subscriber driver, and tighter leadership structure can improve hit rate and capital efficiency in one of Netflix's most competitive content categories.
7:31 AMVariety
Warner Bros. Announces ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Creator Feature Debut ‘Prehistoria’ and ‘Bad Fairies’ Additional Voice Cast
Summary
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation used its Annecy 2026 showcase to announce 'Hazbin Hotel' creator Vivienne Medrano's feature debut, 'Prehistoria,' and to reveal additional voice cast for the upcoming animated feature 'Bad Fairies.' The presentation also outlined more details on the studio's slate of original animated films.
Why it matters
WB is signaling that creator-led animation and celebrity voice packaging are central to its theatrical animation strategy for 2026 and beyond.
Other Developments
A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.
Ryan Beatty says his new album "Sweet Fortune" emerged as he found stability and happiness in love, shaping songs that lean into tenderness and emotional clarity. He points to writing "Phantom" with Ethan Gruska in Los Angeles as an early signal of the record’s warmer, more openhearted direction.
6:30 PMVarietyParamount is developing an animated feature, "Freddy the 13th," with Dan Trachtenberg attached to direct. The project adapts a graphic horror novel into a "wholesome," PG-rated comedy about an unlucky 13th-born son named Freddy Vanwinkle.
1:59 PMVarietySan Antonio’s mayor urged that Kanye West’s planned July 4 concert in the city be canceled after recent cancellations of West shows in Europe. A separate planned show in Tampa is also drawing concern, adding to scrutiny around the tour’s viability.
11:46 AMNew York Times ArtsSeason 3 opens with the Targaryen civil war escalating into large-scale clashes marked by brutality, fire, and political maneuvering. The episode shifts the fight to the sea, expanding the conflict beyond court intrigue into strategic warfare.
10:55 AMNew York Times ArtsPrizePicks founder Adam Wexler has launched EightState Studios, an unscripted production company aimed at developing original series and documentaries. The company’s first project is an eight-episode live competition series slated to premiere Aug. 11 on YouTube, produced with Deviants Media Studios.
10:30 AMVarietyToy Story 5 opened at No. 1 in China for the June 19 to 21 weekend with RMB121.2 million ($17.8 million). Dear You held in second place in its eighth week, adding $11.3 million and lifting its cumulative gross to about $272 million.
4:18 AMVarietyEuropean distributor deals are landing for the Japanese animated feature "Chimney Town: Frozen in Time" ahead of its Annecy debut. Rights include France (Arthouse Films), Eastern Europe (HBO Max), and multiple Balkan territories (MegaCom Film).
1:31 AMVariety"The Bear" returns for its fifth and final season as one of the week’s marquee TV releases. The BET Awards air live from Los Angeles alongside other notable premieres and returning series.
1:00 AMNew York Times Arts6:30 PMVariety
Ryan Beatty on How Finding Happiness in Love Shaped His New Album ‘Sweet Fortune’: ‘This Record Has a Really Big Heart to It’
Summary
Ryan Beatty says his new album "Sweet Fortune" emerged as he found stability and happiness in love, shaping songs that lean into tenderness and emotional clarity. He points to writing "Phantom" with Ethan Gruska in Los Angeles as an early signal of the record’s warmer, more openhearted direction.
Why it matters
Artist narratives still drive music discovery, and Beatty is betting that a public pivot to love and joy can be as compelling as heartbreak.
1:59 PMVariety
‘Freddy the 13th’ Animated Movie Set at Paramount With ‘Predator: Badlands’ Director Dan Trachtenberg
Summary
Paramount is developing an animated feature, "Freddy the 13th," with Dan Trachtenberg attached to direct. The project adapts a graphic horror novel into a "wholesome," PG-rated comedy about an unlucky 13th-born son named Freddy Vanwinkle.
Why it matters
Studios keep chasing IP leverage by translating niche or dark-source material into broader, PG-rated franchise candidates.
11:46 AMNew York Times Arts
San Antonio Mayor Says Kanye West’s July 4 Concert There Should Be Canceled
Summary
San Antonio’s mayor urged that Kanye West’s planned July 4 concert in the city be canceled after recent cancellations of West shows in Europe. A separate planned show in Tampa is also drawing concern, adding to scrutiny around the tour’s viability.
Why it matters
A mayoral call to cancel can quickly convert controversy into operational shutdown, reshaping whether major tours can proceed city by city.
10:55 AMNew York Times Arts
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Premiere Recap: A Song of Water and Fire
Summary
Season 3 opens with the Targaryen civil war escalating into large-scale clashes marked by brutality, fire, and political maneuvering. The episode shifts the fight to the sea, expanding the conflict beyond court intrigue into strategic warfare.
Why it matters
By expanding the war to the sea, the series increases the scale and stakes of the conflict and sets up new factions to drive the next phase of the story.
10:30 AMVariety
PrizePicks Founder Adam Wexler Launches EightState Studios (EXCLUSIVE)
Summary
PrizePicks founder Adam Wexler has launched EightState Studios, an unscripted production company aimed at developing original series and documentaries. The company’s first project is an eight-episode live competition series slated to premiere Aug. 11 on YouTube, produced with Deviants Media Studios.
Why it matters
It signals more creator-economy style financing and distribution in unscripted, with YouTube positioned as a first window rather than a fallback.
4:18 AMVariety
China Box Office: ‘Toy Story 5’ Snags Top Spot as ‘Dear You’ Reaches $272 Million
Summary
Toy Story 5 opened at No. 1 in China for the June 19 to 21 weekend with RMB121.2 million ($17.8 million). Dear You held in second place in its eighth week, adding $11.3 million and lifting its cumulative gross to about $272 million.
Why it matters
China’s box office is rewarding both global tentpoles and sticky domestic hits, forcing distributors to compete on timing, legs, and premium screens.
1:31 AMVariety
‘Chimney Town: Frozen in Time’ Sells Wide Across Europe Ahead of Annecy French Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Summary
European distributor deals are landing for the Japanese animated feature "Chimney Town: Frozen in Time" ahead of its Annecy debut. Rights include France (Arthouse Films), Eastern Europe (HBO Max), and multiple Balkan territories (MegaCom Film).
Why it matters
Pre-premiere sales de-risk the film and show how anime features now clear Europe through a mix of streamers and targeted local distributors.
1:00 AMNew York Times Arts
‘The Bear’ and 7 More Shows to Watch on TV This Week
Summary
"The Bear" returns for its fifth and final season as one of the week’s marquee TV releases. The BET Awards air live from Los Angeles alongside other notable premieres and returning series.
Why it matters
Final seasons and live awards nights reshape weekly viewing and expose which services can hold audiences once flagship series conclude.
Make it yours
Build Your First Pass.
Pick your topics, set your cadence, and receive your personalized First Pass in your inbox. It’s that simple!