Music maestro Clive Davis has been causing quite the symphony of noise in the media thanks to his new memoir, The Soundtrack to My Life, in which he reveals that he’s bisexual. But while Davis has been stirring up praise for his brave sexual revelation, he’s also stirred up drama with his former protégé, Kelly Clarkson, who called Davis a bully over a controversial passage in his book.
In the passage, Davis talks about their difficult professional relationship and describes a meeting with Clarkson in which he alleges that she was “hysterically sobbing” in an attempt to keep “Since U Been Gone” off her multiplatinum, Grammy-winning album, Breakaway.
The chapter goes on to describe how the two often disagreed on Clarkson’s career and how Davis always ended up being right in his choices for her. However, in this case, Clarkson is claiming that Davis is dead wrong and completely lying.
“So I just heard Clive Davis is releasing a memoir and spreading false information about me and my music. I refuse to be bullied and I just have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation for myself and for my fans. It feels like a violation,” Clarkson wrote in a WhoSay post. “Growing up is awesome because you learn you don’t have to cower to anyone — even Clive Davis.”
Clarkson claims that she’s extremely proud of “Since U Been Gone” and that she actually fought against Davis to give the song a bigger sound. However Clarkson admits that she did cry in Davis’ office when he called her a “s—– writer.”
“But, yes, I did cry in his office once. I cried after I played him a song I had written about my life called ‘Because of You.’ I cried because he hated it and told me verbatim that I was a ‘sh*tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon me.’ He continued on about how the song didn’t rhyme and how I should just shut up and sing.”
Despite their dysfunctional relationship, Clarkson explains that she’s still grateful to have had Davis as a mentor.
“Anyway, I love my job. I love my music. I love my fans. I love my label and all of my professional relationships … now. And I am grateful for Clive for teaching me to know the difference,” said Clarkson.
Well, she’s not the only star that has fought against their mentor. Check out some other tumultuous mentor-protégé relationships below. –nicholas robinson
