“We love NYC: The coming home concert,” Clive Davis says, “will use music as a symbol for revival, regeneration and recovery.”
Clive Davis worked for weeks on the telephones to coordinate “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” in New York City, set for the 21st Augsburg Central Park. In an interview with ‘CBS Sunday Morning,’ Davis said contributor Kelefa Sanneh that the star event featuring Bruce Springteen, Paul Simon, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Maluma and many more is designed to celebrate the city’s return.
“We use music not only to change the mood, but to symbolize revival, regeneration and rejuvenation,” Davis told Sanneh. “It’s so special because of this.”
When town officials decided to host the event to mark the end of the COVID-19 locks, Davis, who’s worked in the music industry for five decades and has been able to launch Springsteen, Whitney Houston and other companies, reached out. On August 21st, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed at the Grand Lawn – the same spot for an estimated 500,000 people in 1981.
“We were through a terrible pandemic, you know,” said Davis. “Each of us is affected separately. Our town has been affected. People of all kinds and races and enterprises and lives are affected. So, I’m very serious about that… I’m sure I won’t relax until the end.”
The live event is also taking place at a time when the world is fighting against the spread of the COVID-19 Delta, which has raised concerns about any major gathering.
The city is responsible for this part of the planning, said Davis: “You guarantee us that the environment is completely safe, you take every precaution and you need to demonstrate the evidence of vaccination. And the most – yes, there was 500,000 in that space in Simon and Garfunkel. There isn’t 500,000 of us. The maximum number is 60,000, so it will, you know, be much more extended.”
Davis spoke to Sanneh about the event, his career, his love of New York City and more.
