Clarence Avant, The ‘Godfather Of Black Music’ Dies Aged 92
Clarence Avant, whose talent as a manager, mentor, and deal-maker earned him the nickname ‘The Godfather of Black Music’, has lost his life at the age of 92.
A former head of Motown, he worked with everyone from Bill Withers to Michael Jackson and founded one of America’s first Black-owned radio stations.
Avant passed away at home in Los Angeles on Sunday, his family announced in a statement.
His death comes 20 months after his wife, Jacqueline murdered by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home.
“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,” said the family.
“The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”
Avant’s list of accomplishments was long and varied. A former nightclub manager, his reputation as a tough negotiator attracted the attention of soul singer Little Willie John, who asked him to become his manager.
That brought him to the attention of entertainment industry veteran Joe Glaser, who managed the likes of Louis Armstrong and Barbra Streisand.
Glaser took Avant under his wing, handing him some clients – including Mission: Impossible composer Lalo Schifrin – and encouraging him how to close deals.
“Joe Glaser taught me [to] aim high,” he told Variety magazine in 2016 “You can’t walk up the Empire State Building – you’ll get tired, your knees might give out. But you can ride the elevator and walk down. You always aim up here, and walk down later if you have to.”
Before long, he’d negotiated a six-figure deal for jazz producer Creed Taylor at A&M Records, despite the fact he was already contracted to another label.
Avant went on to manage Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard and Kim Weston – who duetted with Marvin Gaye on It Takes Two.
A former aircraft mechanic, Withers had been rejected by virtually every other record company in America – but Avant heard something in his laid-back, ruminative style and steered songs like Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean On Me to global success.
The executive also discovered and signed Sugarman singer Sixto Rodriguez, whose records flopped in the 1970s but became cult classics before his rediscovery through the Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugarman in 2012.
In the 1980s, Tabu Records scored hits with the S.O.S. Band, Cherrelle, and Alexander O’Neal while launching the careers of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as a songwriting team.
They would go on to score 16 US number-one singles, including Usher’s U Remind Me, George Michael’s Monkey, and Janet Jackson’s tracks Together Again and That’s The Way Love Goes.
In 1989, Avant also represented songwriters LA Reid and Babyface as they launched LaFace Records – a joint venture with Arista Records that set stars like Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, and Pink on the road to fame.
Avant was named Motown chairman in 1993, overseeing a period of success for artists including Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, and Shanice.
Among his more colorful escapades, he sabotaged a TV program that was planned as a rival to Soul Train; brokered peace amongst warring rights holders for an E.T. tie-in album; and arranged safe passage for P Diddy in the aftermath of the Notorious B.I.G.’s murder.
Outside of music, he helped American football player Jim Brown develop a career in acting and advised several US presidents, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
“The guy’s a rock in every way,” Clinton once commented. “His advice, per word, is worth more than anyone I ever dealt with.”
Avant is survived by his daughter, Nicole Avant, a former US ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos; and his son, Alexander.
