By DAVID BAUDER

NEW YORK (AP) - Clive Davis, the music executive who helped launch the careers of pop icons like Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, is in a high-stakes power struggle with his corporate bosses over his future at Arista Records, the company he founded 25 years ago.

BMG Entertainment, a division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, owns Arista and wants to appoint an executive who will eventually succeed Davis, 66, one of the few remaining music impresarios in a business that used to be filled with them.

Bertelsmann traditionally enforces a retirement age of 60 on its executives. Davis is fighting the appointment of a future successor and several major Arista artists are backing him, calling BMG's move an affront to his authority that could mean the company is trying to ease him out.

"Clive is one of the pillars of the music industry and if he's toppled, no one is safe," said singer Carly Simon, an Arista artist. "If indeed what is coming out in the news is the real story, it should send chills down the backs of everyone who has reached the age of 40. What does experience count for?"

BMG says it doesn't want to get rid of Davis, only to prepare for a day he won't be there. Its executives believe they're in a power struggle with someone not used to answering to anyone, and who wants to keep it that way.

Davis isn't talking publicly about the fight. His spokesman, the high-powered public relations executive Howard Rubenstein, says Davis and BMG are trying to work things out.

"The negotiations are continuing and they're serious," Rubenstein said. "Beyond that, nobody has anything to say."

At Arista, Davis presides over a pop empire that includes Whitney Houston, Sarah McLachlan, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Aretha Franklin, Monica and Deborah Cox.

His career began at CBS Records in the 1960s, signing artists like Janis Joplin, Joel and Springsteen. He was fired in 1973 when the label accused him of mismanaging funds, but he quickly founded Arista. It's a haven for artists mostly in the pop and rhythm 'n' blues fields. Arista was sold to Bertelsmann in 1979.

Unlike many music executives who concern themselves strictly with business, Davis often takes an active role in molding artists by producing albums and picking the songs they record. Ms. Houston calls Davis "my partner."

It's a throwback to the days the music business was ruled by strong-willed individuals like Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic, Mo Ostin at Warner Brothers and Berry Gordy Jr. at Motown.

Today's impresarios, people like Combs or Master P, are more likely to work for rap or small, independent labels.

Since Davis' dispute became public, the big guns have rolled out to publicly support him.

"Clive is priceless and he is the greatest one of the few 'real' record men left in the industry," Aretha Franklin said.

For BMG, reining in Davis is a PR nightmare. If its executives clumsily boot him, they risk alienating most of the artists on Arista's roster.

Strauss Zelnick, BMG chief executive said he has "the highest regard and deepest respect" for Davis and his accomplishments.

"As CEO, I have a responsibility to make decisions based on what's right for the company and that includes making sure that we have an appropriate succession plan in place at Arista," Zelnick said in a statement. "While we generally do not comment on contract negotiations, everyone at BMG, especially me, hopes that Clive will stay on."

Zelnick was unavailable to answer questions about how BMG expects Davis and his designated successor to work together.

While BMG has cited its retirement age as the reason for searching for a successor, its use of the age-60 cutoff was weakened in Davis' case because the company signed him to a 5-year contract when he was 62. That contract expires next June.

BMG has reportedly groomed Antonio "L.A." Reid, an executive with LaFace Records and an accomplished record producer with partner Babyface, as a potential successor and sent him to Harvard Business School. Some in the industry believe Davis isn't happy with that choice.

BMG, which owns 50 percent of LaFace now, would likely seek to buy the rest of the company if Reid is chosen as Davis' successor, and staffing at both labels would be cut back.

Some within the industry also believe that Davis would be more willing to accept a designated successor if BMG comes through with a highly lucrative contract extension.

Top music business lawyer Allen Grubman, with clients that have included Elton John, Madonna and Michael Jackson, is on Davis' negotiating team. A quick resolution is not expected.