He was one of the most powerful men in the industry, had incredible influence on what you heard on the radio and was the force behind some of the biggest stars in music - and there's a chance you never even knew who he was. 

But Clive Davis was a force to be reckoned with, launching the careers of artists like Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and even Bruce Springsteen.

And that's not all. 

“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman ... I signed Lou Reed ... I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly touted in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.

But Davis didn’t simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant decades after their first hit. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, flourished in her later years at Arista Records, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records."

And he convinced Barry Manilow to record "I Write The Songs" after he balked because, well - he didn't write that song. 

He also owned or worked with powerful records labels like Arista and Columbia. 

Clive Davis has passed away at the age of 94. He never sang a note on any of his labels, but music would not have been the same without this pioneer with an ear for talent. 

Clive Davis, music industry starmaker, has died at 94