Arista Records, the original label home of megastars such as Whitney Houston and Usher, is back.

Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer made the announcement today.

Details below on the return of one of the most prestigious imprints in music after the jump…

Per a statement issued this morning, it was revealed that industry force Dave Massey, who previously headed up Island Records, will take on leadership of the revived label. He’s pictured above (center) alongside Stringer and former Arista head Clive Davis – the latter of whom blasted the label into the stratosphere with the success of his muse Whitney Houston in the 80s and 90s.

At the turn of the new millennium, a fall-out between Davis and Sony’s then-owners BMG saw him leave Arista and establish J Records under the Sony umbrella in 2004 – taking many of his key artists with him.

Both labels folded in 2011 and acts from their respective rosters were spread across Sony’s remaining pillars – including RCA, Columbia, and Epic.

With this revived incarnation, it’ll be uber intriguing to see how much the new Arista adheres to its classic fabric. Will it skew more Urban? House powerhouse vocalists ala Houston? Or drive in an altogether different lane?

For now though, what seems certain is that Sony are both excited and dedicated to the venture.

Speaking in statement Stringer said:

“We are excited to be reintroducing the iconic Arista brand as a full major label under the leadership of David Massey. David is a visionary and progressive talent developer and his recent success at breaking new artists around the world only highlights his remarkable consistency of creative success year after year. As well as releasing new music to the world, David will use his vast experience in building new publishing and artist management ventures that will enhance Sony Music’s overall music strategy.”

While Massey added:

“I want to thank Rob Stringer for the phenomenal opportunity to return to Sony Music in an expansive new partnership and lead the next chapter of Arista Records. Clive Davis made the Arista name synonymous with tremendous creativity and great songs, and I look forward to continuing that identity by working with the many talented people at Sony to build a new roster of hit artists. I am also excited to join forces with Sony to drive additional growth through artist management and music publishing.”

Davis weighed in, expressing his delight too:

“I am really delighted to see the Arista name return to a place of prominence under an executive with the talents of David Massey. David is a true music man who has tremendous respect for artistry, and he is the ideal choice to carry on the label’s great tradition.”

We’re excited about the next chapter of Arista. Are you?

Your thoughts?