A Harvard Law School graduate, Clive Davis, disheartened by his lack
of status as a young lawyer, joined Columbia Records in 1960 as a
contract lawyer. One of his first assignments was to renegotiate Bob
Dylan's contract, which had apparently become void after the singer
had turned 21. Davis outsmarted Dylan and, by forcing him to renew,
the young lawyer caught the eye of Columbia's head Goddard Leiberson.
Through hard work and internal squabbling, Davis worked his way
through the ranks, becoming vice-president of CBS Records.
Evidence emerged that Davis had used company funds to bankroll his
son's bar mitzvah. In a move that shocked the industry, Davis was
fired not long afterwards.
Clive Davis: Biography (Artist direct)