Clarence Avant Dies: “Godfather Of Black Music” & L.A. Radio Pioneer Was 92

Clarence Avant, who was dubbed the “Godfather of Black Music,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, his family has confirmed. He was 92.

A statement provided by his family including son-in-law Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, announced Avant’s passing “with a heavy heart,” and said he had “passed away gently.”

“Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports,” the statement said. “Top artists and executives like Quincy Jones, JayZ, Whitney Houston, Pharrell Williams, Lionel Richie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sean Combs, L.A. Reid, Suzanne de Passe, Kenny ‘Baby Face’ Edmonds, Jon Platt, Irving Azoff, Snoop Dogg Reginald Hudland, Benny Medina and Queen Latifah all credit Avant for his inspiration and guidance.”

The news comes almost two years after the shooting death of his wife, Jackie Avant, during a break-in at the family’s Beverly Hills home in 2021. She was 81, and they were married for 54 years. Aariel Maynor pleaded guilty to her murder and other crimes and was sentenced to a minimum of 150 years in prison in 2022.

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Credited with discovering the likes of Bill Withers and Sixto Rodriguez, Avant was a pioneering music executive who was also a film producer and entrepreneur. A 2019 Netflix feature, The Black Godfather, depicted his story and was directed by Reginald Hudlin. It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, which were penned by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. He also guided the career of musicians-turned-producers and executives Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

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In addition to music, he had an influential career in sports, politics and entertainment. Avant worked as an adviser and in a official capacity for Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama and is credited with persuading Jim Brown to launch an acting career after a Hall of Fame NFL career. He also served as a mentor to music figures including Jimmy Iovine, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Baby Face” Edmonds, Sylvia Rhone and Jheryl Busby.

“He exemplified a certain level of cool and street smarts that allowed him to move confidently into worlds that nobody had prepared him for, never doubting he could figure it out,” Barack and Michelle Obama said in a joint statement. “Clarence was part of a generation that served as a bridge from a time when there was very little opportunity for Black people to a time when doors began to open. He demanded the world make room, and he paved the way for the rest of us.”

Bill and Hillary Clinton said is a statement: “He brought artists and their music to millions of people. He also used his success to open doors of opportunity to new generations of entrepreneurs and promoters. He was skillful, savvy, warm and wise. It was impossible to spend time with him and not come away feeling more positive and wanting to follow his example. We just loved him.”

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Born the eldest of eight children on February 25, 1931, in Greensboro, N.C., Avant began working in the music business in the 1950s, managing a number of successful acts including Little Willie John, Lalo Schifrin and Jimmy Smith. He went on to work for Venture Records and, two years later, founded Sussex Records.

Avant moved on to forge Avant Garde Broadcasting in 1971 and he subsequently bought KAGB, the first Black-owned FM radio station in metropolitan L.A. in the 1970s. During that decade, he also was a consultant to MGM and ABC. He became the chairman of the board of Motown Records in the 1990s and was the first Black board member of PolyGram.

e became the chairman of the board of Motown Records in the 1990s and
was the first African-American board member of PolyGram

Throughout a decorated career, he won a string of awards, receiving a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2016 and then a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nod in 2021, during which President Obama and Kamala Harris spoke in a video tribute.

Avant married Jacqueline “Jackie” Alberta Gray in 1967 and they had two children: Nicole Avant, a former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix boss Sarandos; and agent, producer and actor Alex Avant.

City News Service contributed to this report.