Clive Davis was honored at the 2026 BET Awards, as Erica Campbell took the stage to perform a medley of “I Love the Lord” set over the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment.
The “Shackles” singer noted that the song was one of Davis’ favorites, one that was performed by Whitney Houston and “also written by the maestro, Richard Small.”
Le’Andria Johnson joined Campbell in the emotional performance on the song, where Richard Smallwood was also honored. The gospel singer died in late December from complications of kidney failure.
Elsewhere, D’Angelo was honored in a special segment introduced by his children. RAYE, Durand Bernarr, Ari Lennox, BJ the Chicago Kid and George Clinton took the stage to honor the “Unshaken” singer, who died in October after a battle with cancer.
Davis died on June 22 at 94. The music mogul had recently been hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection and died only six days before the 2026 BET Awards.
Davis brought great artists including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen into the spotlight, and worked with a plethora of talent over his six-decade career, 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.
After the record executive’s death, a wave of tributes poured in. Springsteen wrote that Davis “changed my life when he signed me to Columbia Records,” while Santana honored him as a “visionary.”
The 2026 BET Awards aired live on Sunday, June 28, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on BET and other Paramount networks.
See the full 2026 BET Awards winners list here, and check out all of the arrival looks here.
