How Clarence Avant Became The Black Godfather
Entertainment mogul Clarence Avant was Black excellence before the phrase came into vogue. Although his name may not be familiar to some, Clarence Avant was a mover and shaker in the entertainment industry. His fingerprints are all over the some of the most renowned musical acts, athletes, and politicians over the past 60 years of his impeccable career. The essence of Avant’s modus operandi is captured by the words NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown who said, “I kept hearing about this guy Clarence Avant, but no one seemed to know what his actual official title was.” With amazing foresight, Avant believed that Black people deserved to be fairly compensated and to have greater ownership stakes in their creative work.
As a music executive, manager, film producer, label and radio station owner, he helped launch the careers of singer, songwriter, and producer Bill Withers, guitarist Dennis Coffey, producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Darryl “L.A”. Reid, and countless others. By fighting against institutional racism, brokering ground-breaking deals, and cultivating African American genius in all sectors of the entertainment industry, Clarence Avant became “The Black Godfather.”
“The Black Godfather”, a documentary directed by Reggie Hudlin, is set to air on Netflix on June 7th and will chronicle the incredible accomplishments of Avant, who functioned almost anonymously by harnessing the capital of Black power during some of the most tumultuous times in this country for Black Americans. His journey to becoming “The Black Godfather” was an unexpected one to say the least.
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, he initially began his as a manager to jazz legend Sarah Vaughn, former Motown star Kim Weston, and pianist-composer Lalo Schifrin. Avant negotiated the first joint venture between Black artists and a major record company when MGM Records, distributed Venture Records Inc. He went onto to found Sussex and Tabu Records, both were havens for Black music during the 1970’s and throughout the 1980’s and he was a reliable fundraiser for Democratic politicians.
The true “Godfatherness” of Avant was his innate compulsion to fight for equality on behalf of Black creatives from behind the scenes without much fanfare. His Black Mafioso ethics compelled him to save Don Cornelius’ “Soul Train” from Dick Clark who produced a rival show, he lobbied corporations for sponsorships for Hank Aaron as he approached breaking Babe Ruth’s homerun record, he convinced Jim Brown to pursue acting, he fought for the T.V. network to hire a Black director for a Muhammad Ali tribute special, he advised Jam and Lewis to ask for more money on their label negotiations, and so much more.
But like every “Godfather”, the family is what’s most important. Avant’s greatest success was his family. He’s been married to his wife Jacqueline Gray for 50 years and the documentary was produced by his daughter, Nicole Avant, former US Ambassador to the Bahamas. She noted, “My father always showed up. He never missed a school recital. Always went to every baseball game. His father left him, and he didn’t have a father figure, so he made a decision that he was going to show up for his family.”
Avant’s sphere on influence spanned beyond the entertainment industry. He counts Andrew Young, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as friends, all who sing his praises in the documentary.
Thankfully, Clarence Avant is receiving his flowers while he can still smell them. At 88 years-young, he’s still as vibrant as ever with the gleam of a battle tested warrior in his eyes. Recently, he was honored with A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame and received the Salute To Industry Icon Awards in 2019. His pioneering contributions opened the door for the likes of Cathy Hughes, Russell Simmons, Andre Harrell, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Dr. Dre, Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Rihanna, and others to follow in his footsteps as owners of their creative enterprises not just the performers.
For decades, Clarence Avant, in true “Godfather” style moved in silence. But his impact upon and love for Black culture is as loud as ever.
Check out the trailer of The Black Godfather below who premieres on Netflix and in select theaters on June 7th.
About the author: Rashad Grove is a journalist who writes about music, pop culture, sports, politics, and everything Black. His work has appeared on BET, Billboard, MTV News, AllHipHop, Revolt TV, Okayplayer, High Snobiety, The Source Magazine, and others.
