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.
In 1967, Davis took over as president and transformed the lagging label into an industry powerhouse by updating its roster to coincide with the emergence of rock music.
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