The "Godfather of Black" music and entertainment, Clarence Avant, has passed away at the age of 92, according to his family.
Avant "passed away gently" in his Los Angeles home yesterday, according to a statement released by his family, which also included son-in-law Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix. The statement revealed Avant's passing "with a heavy heart."
According to the statement, Clarence earned the nickname "the Black Godfather" in the fields of music, entertainment, politics, and sports thanks to his innovative business leadership. "Clarence leaves behind a devoted family as well as a large network of friends and colleagues who have transformed the world and will do so for a very long time. His legacy brings happiness, which lessens our loss's pain.
Avant was a trailblazing music executive who also worked in film production and business. His story was portrayed in The Black Godfather, a 2019 Netflix film that was directed by Reginald Hudlin. Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, were nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
Avant began working in the music industry in the 1950s, managing a number of renowned performers like Little Willie John. Avant was born in North Carolina in 1931, the oldest of eight children. Later, he began working for Venture Records before starting Sussex Records two years later.
Avant went on to start Avant Garde Broadcasting in 1971, and in the 1970s he acquired the first FM radio station in metropolitan Los Angeles owned by an African-American.
He received numerous honors throughout the course of a distinguished career, including a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2016 and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2021, both of which featured video tributes from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.
The first of their two children, Nicole Avant, is a former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and is the spouse of Netflix CEO Sarandos. Avant wed Jacqueline "Jackie" Alberta Gray in 1967.