Clarence Avant, ‘Black Godfather’ of entertainment, dies

By Lauren Victoria Burke
Contributing Writer

(NNPA Newswire) — Clarence Avant, a music business icon and mentor to many, has died at 92 years old. Avant was called “The Godfather” by many because of his long reach in the business community and his ability to bring all sides together in negotiations.

“The Godfather” has left us. This man was singularly responsible for helping so many Black artists get paid their worth. Also was a wonderful supporter & former board member of @NAACP_LDF. Rest in Peace & Power #ClarenceAvant,” wrote attorney Sherrilyn Ifill on social media.

Avant was born in North Carolina in 1931. He went on in the business to promote and manage Sarah Vaughan and discovered Bill Withers.
He brokered the sale of Stax Records to Gulf and Western in 1968, after being recruited by Stax executive Al Bell as a bridge between the entertainment and business industries. He raised money for Obama and Bill Clinton, helped Michael Jackson organize his first solo tour and advised Narada Michael Walden, L.A. Reid and Babyface among others.

When civil rights leader Andrew Young decided to run for Congress, in Georgia, he offered to bring in Isaac Hayes and other entertainers for a benefit and arrange for it to be held at the baseball stadium in Atlanta.

“We had about 30,000 people in the pouring down rain,” Young said. “And he never sent us a bill.”

“He’s a deal maker, he’s the best in the business,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., in the documentary of Clarence.

He helped running back Jim Brown transition from football to acting and produced a primetime television special for Muhammad Ali.

When baseball great Henry Aaron was on the verge of surpassing Babe Ruth as the game’s home run champion, in 1974, Avant made sure that Aaron received the kind of lucrative commercial deals often elusive for Black athletes, starting with a personal demand to the president of Coca-Cola.

Aaron would later tell The Undefeated that everything he had become was “because of Clarence Avant.”

Tragically, Jacqueline Avant, at 81, Clarence Avant’s wife of 54 years, was murdered during a burglary in the early morning hours of December 1, 2021, in the couple’s home in Beverly Hills. The murder was a home invasion in the wealthy Troutdale Estates area of Beverly Hills. Clarence and Jacqueline Avant married in 1967.

A statement was released by the family:

“It is with a heavy heart that the Avant/Sardians family announce the passing of Clarence Alexander Avant,” the statement from his children, Nicole and Alexander and son-in-law Ted Sardians. “Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports. 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.”

This article originally published in the August 21, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.