Clive Davis was not the first powerful man in the music business. There were, however, few who were known as he was for his instincts for talent.

An exploration of how Clive Davis shaped modern popular music by bringing Black music, pop, and rock into the mainstream, defining America’s cultural soundtrack.

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive who died Monday at age 94, launched the careers of some of music’s highest-selling artists, including Whitney Houston and billionaire…