Clive Davis selects five best duets from 50 years of his pre-grammy gala

For half a century the hottest ticket in the music industry has been Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Galastaged in collaboration with Recording Academy, which takes place the night before Grammys. From Beyonce to Barbra, from Jane Fonda to Jay-Z to Nancy Pelosi, the show has a completely unique guest list and list of artists that reflect both in the past year and in recent decades of popular music.

Every year’s show is unique, but the 2025 edition will be even more: Not only is it the party’s 50th anniversary, it has been reinforced as an advantage for recovery from the fire fires that ravaged Los Angeles this month.

“It will be a wonderful, incredible night of music, with collection for the right thing,” says Davis, 92 Amount. “The music is what has made this such a unique night for the last 50 years, and there has never been a strict formula. It’s not just the best of every music genre – Grammy nominated or not – but about putting together Artists who have never performed together.

Trying to choose the top five of the unique duets is an impossible task, but Davis chose five of his favorites for us – and then puts a little more.

Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys “Think” 2003

“Two or three years after Alicia Keys felled into Superstar, she and I talked. I said: ‘You have gone multiplatinum all over the world. You have won a significant number of Grammys. What is your second biggest dream? ‘She thought for a minute and said,’ Do you know what it would be? I would love to make a duet with Aretha Franklin on your party. “The couple performed Aretha’s hit from 1968” Think “which then entered an all-Star Medley based around his 1967-song” Chain of Fools “, including Justin Timberlake, Carly Simon, Angie Stone and Gavin DeGraw.

Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole, “This Will Be” 2000

“Another of the many spectacular duets I remember was Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole who made a wonderful set of improvised jazz riffs under (Coles 1975 -hit)” This will be. “It was a brilliant performance and memorable in every way.”

ROD Stewart, Lou Reed and Slash, “To have a party” 2003

“When Rod Stewart enjoyed the success of his” Great American Songbook “(series), which sold 26 million copies over five albums all over the world, I asked him to perform on my Grammy party. He said, “You know, let’s do something different. Instead of singing (his current hit single),” You go to my head “, I would like to sing (Sam Cooke’s Classic)” with a party. ” You will never guess who I would like to do it with: Lou Reed – and slash. ‘I created it, and that’s another indelible memory.

Cyndi Lauper and Brandi Carlley, “Girls just want fun” 2020

“This was another electrifying duet. Cyndi jumped into the audience and on a table, the exciting audience as she jumped from table to table and led the way for Brandi, who also went with her. “

Carlos Santana with Rob Thomas, Wyclef and Product G&B, “Smooth” and “Maria Maria” in 1999

“It’s only once that I used the opportunity to showcase a legendary artist in New Light – I’m talking about Carlos Santana. When I put together (Santanas Smash 1999 album “Supernatural”), I knew that there was great skepticism, even within (Davis’s label) myself, that a virtuo guitarist who did not sing could, after I was not on the lists for 25 Years, came back in a spectacular way. I knew that the album in some blocks was called ‘Davis’s Folly’ and that (People said) I was full of nostalgia because Carlos was an artist that I had signed when I was head of Columbia Records in 1969, and here it was 30 years later. But (A&R Exec) Pete Ganbarg and I put together “smooth”, which I think now is the second biggest single of the times, and “Maria, Maria”, which no one had heard yet. They came on: Carlos with Rob who made “Smooth” and Carlos with Wyclef and Product G&B did “Maria Maria” – and the place went nuts. The word-to-mouth about how the electrified stage on my Grammy party was everywhere, both discs continued to become big hits, and the album won the eight Grammys. This is the only time I referred to my instinct, if you want. ”

Of course, he does not stop at five. “I can think of so many!” He continues. “It was the year we kept it in the House of Blues (1995) and I only had female performances. That evening, Carly Simon, Annie Lennox, Sarah Mclachlan, June Pointer, Toni Braxton and Natalie Cole all all combined (Simons Hit from 1971) “You are in vain.”

“And it was Gladys Knight and Jennifer Hudson who sang” heard it through the vine “; or Harry Connick and Carrie Underwood sing ‘when someone loves you’; or the black eyebrows with slash that make ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine ‘; or Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Miguel and JC Chasez sing ‘My Girl’; and last year Mark Ronson and Lainey Wilson meet for (the song from ‘Barbie’) ‘I’m just Ken.’ Year after year there are indelible, fantastic memories that you just don’t forget.