Clarence Alexander Avant was a prominent American music executive and film producer.
28 Facts About Clarence Avant
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Clarence Avant was instrumental in the formation and oversight of several record labels, including Venture Records Inc and Sussex Records.
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Widely recognized as "The Black Godfather", Clarence Avant's career was characterized by his advocacy for equitable treatment and compensation for African American artists in the entertainment industry.
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Clarence Avant's efforts were acknowledged with his 2021 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Clarence Alexander Avant was born in Climax, North Carolina, on February 25,1931; he was the oldest of eight children.
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Clarence Avant attended a one-room school in Greensboro, North Carolina until the eighth grade.
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Clarence Avant spent his freshman and second years of high school at Dudley High School in Greensboro before moving to New Jersey in 1947 as a teenager.
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In New Jersey, Clarence Avant worked as a stock clerk at Macy's and for a law directory.
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Clarence Avant began in the music business in the 1950s as a manager of Teddy P's Lounge in Newark, New Jersey, owned by promoter Teddy Powell.
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Clarence Avant incorporated Clarence Avant Garde Enterprises, Inc on November 7,1962, in New York, the same month that Smith became a client of Associated Booking, and originally had offices at 850 Seventh Avenue.
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Clarence Avant opened a West Coast office in September 1964 to accommodate the growing motion picture soundtrack assignments offered to his clients.
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On September 27,1966, Clarence Avant incorporated Sussex Productions, Inc in New York, an independent record production firm with artists Four Hi's, Johnny Nash, Terry Bryant, Billy Woods, and the Judge and the Jury.
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Clarence Avant moved from Manhattan to Beverly Hills to work with Venture Records Inc in the Fall of 1967, doing so until 1969 when MGM Records shut down the label and joint venture.
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The deal was finalized on May 29,1968, for $4.3 million, with Clarence Avant receiving ten percent of all debentures.
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Clarence Avant went out of business in June 1975, with the IRS seizing and auctioning off all assets because of $48,000 in federal tax liens.
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Clarence Avant signed singer, songwriter, and producer Bill Withers, guitarist Dennis Coffey, and soft rock band Gallery to Sussex Records, which was distributed from 1970 to 1974 by Buddah Records.
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Clarence Avant lost about $611,168.67 in the bankruptcy, $71,500 from Interior Music Corporation advances between August 1973 and September 1974, and $13,887 from Sussex Records loans.
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Comedian Bill Cosby was an additional investor in Clarence Avant Garde Broadcasting, investing approx.
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In September 1973, Paramount Pictures released Save the Children, with Clarence Avant serving as executive producer.
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On May 23,1998, Clarence Avant received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, presented by Awards Council member Quincy Jones.
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On October 7,2016, Clarence Avant received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions in the recording industry, located at 6363 Hollywood Boulevard, next to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' star.
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In February 2018, Clarence Avant received the President's Merit Award as a Grammy Icon at the Clive Davis Pre Grammy Gala in Los Angeles.
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On May 12,2021, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun award and will be inducted to the 2021 class.
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Nicole Clarence Avant is a former United States Ambassador to the Bahamas, and wife of Netflix executive Ted Sarandos, who produced the Netflix documentary The Black Godfather about her father's music industry career and his influential role advocating for Black artists and athletes.
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Jackie Clarence Avant served as president of the Neighbors of Watts, the support group for the South Central Community Child Care Center in 1975, entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction and dinner dance, and chairwoman of NOW membership in 1974.
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Clarence Avant was on the board of directors of the International Student Center at UCLA.
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Clarence Avant was shot and killed on December 1,2021, at age 81, during a home invasion at the couple's residence in Beverly Hills, California.
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Clarence Avant died at his home in Los Angeles on August 13,2023, at the age of 92.