In 1987, Michael Jackson embarked on his inaugural solo concert tour named “Bad.” This world tour comprised 123 shows, commencing on September 12, 1987, in Japan, and culminating on January 27, 1989, in the United States. It raked in an impressive $125 million, securing its place as the second highest-grossing tour of the 1980s.
The promoter of that tour was Clarence Avant. His adept management skills ensured the tour’s monumental success, leading to two Guinness World Records for the largest-grossing and most-attended tour in history.
In 1997, amid the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud and the tragic murder of Notorious B.I.G., Clarence Avant orchestrated a remarkable act of goodwill. He facilitated safe passage for P Diddy during a time of heightened tensions.
That’s Clarence Avant for you. A talented manager, mentor, and deal-maker.
When Netflix released his documentary in 2019, it was simply called The Black Godfather.
As a silent yet potent force in Hollywood, his fingerprints adorned the annals of 20th-century music history. He managed Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Smith, Lalo Schifrin and Freddie Hubbard. His discovery of Bill Withers, a rejected artist turned global sensation, epitomized his keen eye for hidden brilliance. 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.
In 1993 when he was named Motown chairman, he shepherded the success of artists like Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, and Shanice. His mentorship reached icons such as Quincy Jones, Jay-Z, Jim Brown, Pharrell Willians, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx.
Outside of music, he helped American football player Jim Brown develop a career in acting and advised several US presidents. Barack Obama credits Avant with getting him a prime-time slot for the 2004 Democratic convention, which boosted his political profile. “The guy’s a rock in every way,” Clinton once commented. “His advice, per word, is worth more than anyone I ever dealt with.”
But as they say, the more you live, the more you are likely to face tragedy. In December 2021 a man burglarized the Avants’ home, shot and killed Avant’s wife, Jacqueline, whom he married in 1967.
This week, on August 13, 2023, Clarence Avant passed away at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 92.
In their poignant tribute, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation aptly captured his essence: “Clarence Avant isn’t just the ‘Godfather of Black Music,’ he is our cultural Godfather.”
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.
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