By Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News
Wheeling, dealing and innovating leisure govt Clarence Avant is lifeless at 92.
Dubbed “The Black Godfather” in a 2019 documentary detailing his work with stars together with Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, Michael Jackson, Bill Withers and 5 U.S. presidents, Avant died “gently” in his Los Angeles dwelling, in line with an announcement from his household printed by Variety.
“The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss,” his family members wrote.
The Climax, N.C. native moved to Newark, N.J. as an adolescent and obtained concerned within the music enterprise as a nightclub supervisor. He quickly got here below the mentorship of Joe Glaser, who helped launch artists together with Louis Armstrong and Barbra Streisand.
Avant developed a knack for growing expertise and recognizing potential. He takes credit score for introducing former NFL star Jim Brown to appearing, which launched a vastly profitable second act for the “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” star.
Avant began a pair of document labels and helped negotiate the sale of Stax Records earlier than turning into chairman of Motown Records and a board member at PolyGram. He produced Michael Jackson’s “Bad” tour in 1988 after allegedly turning down the gig thrice.
“I just do things,” Avant informed Variety in 2016. “I just like to take shots.”
Avant’s capability to chop a deal wasn’t restricted to music. He helped Muhammad Ali rating a TV particular on ABC News and negotiated an unprecedented endorsement package deal for Hank Aaron that paid the MLB nice greater than he made enjoying baseball. That deal got here when Aaron, dogged by bigoted critics, was closing in on Babe Ruth’s longstanding dwelling run document.
“Without Clarence Avant, there is no Hank Aaron,” Aaron mentioned in “The Black Godfather.”
Bill Clinton, one of many 5 presidents he suggested, mentioned in “Black Godfather” that Avant’s “advice per word is worth more than anyone I ever dealt with.” In the identical doc, Barack Obama praised Avant for understanding “the power that comes from being behind the scenes.”
Music producer Quincy Jones additionally praised his pal and colleague’s expertise as a strategist.
“Everyone in this business has been by Clarence’s desk, if they’re smart,” Jones mentioned.
Avant was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016. It rests subsequent to the celebrities of music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whose work with Avant led to the success of acts together with the S.O.S. Band.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 following an introduction from Lionel Richie that got here with a time restriction.
“There’s no way possible you can talk about Clarence Avant in four minutes,” the singer informed a reside viewers. “He’s the perfect marriage between street sense and common sense.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”