Paul Shaffer to Join Avon Theatre Gala Honoring Music Icon Clive Davis with Lifetime Achievement Award

The Avon Theatre Film Center will present its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award to music industry legend Clive Davis during a gala event on Tuesday, October 14 at the Avon Theatre - Deborah & Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center in Stamford, Connecticut. In a significant addition to the program, Paul Shaffer, the celebrated musician and longtime David Letterman collaborator, will make a guest appearance to deliver a musical tribute honoring his friend and industry icon.

Davis, a five-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, has exerted profound influence across six decades of music history. His career has shaped the trajectories of iconic artists including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Santana, and Alicia Keys. The gala evening will feature a retrospective showcasing Davis's extensive impact on both music and film, with special performances and tributes planned throughout the event.

The timing of this recognition carries particular significance as Davis continues to maintain an active presence in the music industry. Earlier this year, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his legendary Pre-Grammy Gala, an event that has become an institution within the music community. His career milestones continue to accumulate, with recent honors including the Legacy Award from The Apollo Theater in June 2025, where he was inducted into their historic Walk of Fame.

Davis's career began at Columbia Records where he was appointed president in 1967, signing legendary rock artists including Sly and the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Billy Joel, Janis Joplin, and Bruce Springsteen. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found Arista Records in 1974, where he signed Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow while further developing the careers of established stars like Aretha Franklin and the Grateful Dead. Ticket information for the gala is available at https://avontheatre.org.

Beyond his commercial success, Davis has made substantial contributions to music education through the establishment of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University in 2002. His humanitarian efforts include significant contributions to AIDS research, with millions of dollars donated to support medical advancements. The documentary about his life, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, produced by Ridley Scott's firm and directed by Chris Perkel, achieved number one status on iTunes upon its release and continues to stream on platforms including Netflix.

Proceeds from the October gala will support the Avon Theatre's nonprofit mission of independent film programming, education, and cultural outreach. The theater, which has served as a cultural institution in downtown Stamford for nearly 85 years, maintains its commitment to showcasing independent, foreign, classic, and documentary films while fostering community engagement through educational initiatives. This event represents not only a celebration of Davis's extraordinary career but also an opportunity to sustain vital cultural programming that benefits film enthusiasts across generations.