Who was Clive Davis’ first wife? Music exec was married twice before meeting partner Greg Schriefer

Focus Features
Clive Davis With His Partner Greg Schriefer At Focus Features' "Lorne" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

American record executive, A&R producer, and lawyer Clive Davis died at his home in Manhattan, NYC, on June 22. He was 94. Shortly before his demise, he was hospitalized with respiratory issues.

His family confirmed the death via a statement on Instagram. It reads:

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations.”

The announcement continued:

“To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love. No matter how extraordinary his professional accomplishments, he never lost sight of what mattered most: the people he loved.”

Clive Davis’ children stated how, through every chapter of his “remarkable life,” his family remained his “greatest pride and deepest joy.” They concluded by marking his lifelong legacy:

“Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”

Clive Davis’ first wife was Helen Cohen. They were married for nearly a decade. They had two children: a son, Fred, and a daughter, Lauren.

Davis also had two more children, Mitchell and Doug, with his second wife, Janet Adelberg. Thereafter, he came out as bisexual and dated men.

Today, he is survived by his partner, Greg Schriefer, four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.


All you need to know about Clive Davis’ first marriage and subsequent romances

Clive Davis began courting Helen Cohen while studying at NYU’s College of Arts & Sciences in the early 1950s. They met at the Poconos Summer Camp, where Cohen was a social worker.

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1956, they tied the knot and went on to start a family. Their son, Fred, arrived in 1960, followed by their daughter Lauren in 1962.

In 1965, Helen Cohen divorced Clive Davis and left him in charge of their kids while she travelled the world. While struggling with his career and being a single father, the music executive fell in love with opera singer Janet Adelberg and married her later that same year.

The couple were together for 20 years before divorcing in 1985. Not much is known about their son, Mitchell. However, the younger son, Doug David, went on to follow in his dad's footsteps and joined the industry as an entertainment lawyer before becoming a music executive.

In fact, like Clive Davis, his youngest child is also a multiple-time Grammy winner. Doug, 54, is also the founder of The Davis Firm, a NYC-based entertainment law practice.

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In his 2013 memoir, The Soundtrack of My Life, Clive Davis revealed his bisexuality and having two long-term relationships with men. One was with a doctor from 1990 to 2004 and a “strong monogamous” romance with another man for over seven years:

“After my second marriage failed, I met a man who was also grounded in music. Having only had loving relationships and sexual intimacy with women, I opened myself up to the possibility that I could have that with a male, and found that I could.”

He continued:

“I'm still attracted to women. You don't have to be only one thing or another. For me, it's the person. I just found that I would open myself up to the possibility of a relationship based on the person and not on gender.”

The former President of Columbia Records shared that although he kept his sexuality hidden from the world, he was transparent with his family and children.

“I thought it was private, number one, but I did immediately reveal it to the people who count; my children, I was totally open to my close friends, I just didn’t hold the sign up.”

In a subsequent interview with Katie Couric for Nightline, he added:

“You don't have to be only one thing or another. I opened myself up to the possibility that I could have a relationship with a man as well as the two that I had with a woman… For over 50 years, I never had s*x with a male. It wasn't repressed. I had very good sexual relationships with women.”

His longtime partner, Greg Schriefer, was by his side at the time of death. Greg is a real estate agent and interior designer. They lived together at a mansion in Pound Ridge.

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Edited by Pallavi K