Clive Davis has discovered, signed and supported some of the biggest names in music over the past 45 years -- from Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. In an interview with Soundcheck Davis talks about his new autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life and explains how he lucked into the music business, describes his first experience listening to Janis Joplin, and dispels rumors about his public tiff with Kelly Clarkson.

The Vienna Philharmonic is internationally recognized as a top-tier orchestra – but it’s not known as a particularly progressive organization. Women were only permitted to join the group as full-fledged members in 1997 – today, they make up less than 5% of the ensemble. Minorities have also traditionally been kept out. But now, as the 75th anniversary of the Anschluss approaches -- the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 -- the group has pledged to come clean about its past ties with the Nazi party in Austria, which appear to have lasted long after World War II ended in 1945. New York Times freelance writer and consultant James R. Oestreich joins us with the story. 

The last time Holcombe Waller came into the Soundcheck studio, it was just him, a guitar, and our piano. While he was playing, listeners commented  about the pureness of his voice. Yet when Waller returned to the studio, his voice remains just as strong, but everything else was totally different.

The mysterious English songwriter Nick Drake wasn't particularly well-known in his lifetime. But since his death in 1974, at age 26, he’s developed quite a cult following -- and influenced so many other musicians. Now, we’re hearing from someone who was a great influence on him -- his mom. A new album collects the songs of Molly Drake, who was an artist in her own right.

Japanese taiko masters Kenny Endo & Kaoru Watanabe play Shapeshifter Lab Tuesday night. Download the track "Together Alone"

Soundcheck presents "Tough Critics" -- a video series starring Elisabeth, Onaje and Will, three fifth-graders from the Little Red School House in New York City. In each episode, the trio of burgeoning music critics takes on a new release -- and they don't pull any punches.