Clarence Avant, ‘Godfather of Black Music,’ Dies at 92
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Clarence Avant, the entertainment executive affectionately known as the “Black Godfather” of music, died on Sunday, his family confirmed. He was 92.
A statement released Monday by his children announced Avant’s death “with a heavy heart.” It added that he “passed away gently at home in Los Angeles on Sunday,” though no cause of death was disclosed.
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“Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports,” the statement from his children, Nicole and Alexander, as well as son-in-law Ted Sarandos, the Netflix co-CEO, read, according to Variety. “Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”
The news of Avant’s death comes almost two years after his philanthropist wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” Avant, was tragically shot dead at the age of 81 during a home invasion at their house near Beverly Hills in 2021.
Avant’s towering achievements in the entertainment business began with his early forays managing singers in the 1950s, including the likes of Little Willie John. He moved to Los Angeles the following decade and set up his own music label, Sussex Records, where he signed the likes of Bill Withers and others.
He later bought KAGB-FM, making it the only Black-owned FM radio station in L.A. at the time, and was named chairman of Motown Records in 1993. Avant was a mentor to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as a diverse array of others, including Babyface, Jimmy Iovine, and L.A. Reid. He also supported the likes of Muhammad Ali—helping him land a variety special on ABC—and NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown, whom he helped break into the movie industry. In the 1980s, Avant promoted Michael Jackson’s first ever solo world tour, “Bad.”
Several presidents also turned to him for advice, including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Obama, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, paid tribute to Avant in a video as he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. He earlier received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored with the Industry Icon Award at the Grammys in 2019.
“One of the things he understands is there are different kinds of power,” Obama said in the 2019 Netflix documentary about Avant, The Black Godfather. “There’s the power that needs the spotlight but there’s also the power that comes from being behind the scenes.”
Avant and his wife are survived by their son, Alexander, a producer and talent rep, and daughter, Nicole, the former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and wife of Sarandos.
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