Clive Davis Received a Posthumous Honor at the 2026 BET Awards During In Memoriam Tribute Featuring Whitney Houston’s Song

During the 2026 BET Awards, Clive Davis was posthumously recognized as Erica Campbell performed a medley of “I Love the Lord” as part of the In Memoriam segment.

Campbell noted that the song was a favorite of Davis, originally performed by Whitney Houston and co‑written by the maestro Richard Small.

Le’Andria Johnson joined Campbell for an emotional rendition of the song, which also served to honor Richard Smallwood, a gospel singer who passed away in late December after a battle with kidney failure.

In another tribute, D’Angelo was celebrated in a segment introduced by his children, with RAYE, Durand Bernarr, Ari Lennox, BJ the Chicago Kid, and George Clinton appearing onstage to honor the “Unshaken” singer, who died in October after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Davis, who died on June 22 at the age of 94, had been hospitalized shortly before his passing for an upper respiratory infection, just six days prior to the 2026 BET Awards.

Over a six‑decade career, Davis catapulted artists such as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, and Bruce Springsteen into the mainstream, while also collaborating with a vast roster of talent including Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, The Grateful Dead, Alicia Keys, Simon & Garfunkel, Jennifer Hudson, Barry Manilow, Pink Floyd, Earth, Wind & Fire, Aerosmith, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Kenny G, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Patti Smith.

Following Davis’s death, numerous industry figures paid tribute; Springsteen noted that Davis “changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records,” and Santana called him a “visionary.”

The 2026 BET Awards were broadcast live on Sunday, June 28, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, airing on BET and across other Paramount networks.

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