Voting Station

Clarence Avant

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Music Producer

The Resume

    (February 25, 1931-August 13, 2023)
    Born in Greensboro, North Carolina
    Middle name is Alexander
    Nicknamed 'the Black Godfather'
    Motown Records chairman)
    Founded Sussex Records on December 18, 1969
    Founded Tabu Productions in 1975
    Founded Avant Garde Broadcasting on August 6, 1971
    Produced the films 'Save the Children (1973),' Deliver Us from Evil (1975),' 'The Color Purple (1985),' 'Stalingrad (1990),' and 'Jason's Lyric (1994)'
    Negotiated the first joint venture between Black artists and a major record company (MGM Records)
    Launched the first African-American owned FM radio station
    First African-American to serve on the International Management Board for PolyGram (1997)

Why he might be annoying:

    He is sometimes described as playfully 'foul mouthed.'
    He came to New Jersey after unsuccessfully trying to kill his (admittedly abusive) stepfather.
    His surname is regularly mispronounced (it's 'AYvant').
    He was mentored by mob-connected music manager Joe Glaser.
    For such a powerful figure, it was sometimes unclear to celebrities what it was exactly he 'did' (for instance, when he was trying to start an acting career, Jim Brown said: 'I kept hearing about this guy Clarence Avant, but no one seemed to know what his actual official title was.')
    Sussex Records went out of business in 1975 after he over-extended himself with the purchase other ventures (the IRS seized and auctioned his assets off to cover a $480,000 tax bill).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He grew up in poverty, the oldest of eight children.
    He is credited with making Bill Withers a household name.
    He is credited with saving Soul Train from getting cancelled.
    He regularly counseled black entrepreneurs and entertainers with how to best negotiate to get all the money they deserved.
    He helped Hank Aaron secure sponsorship deals, including a lucrative Coca-Cola partnership.
    He insisted a TV network hire a black director for a tribute special honoring Muhammad Ali.
    He has remained humble and lives frugally.
    The list of entertainers and public figures who benefited from his advocacy is seemingly endless (but suffice it to say that Diddy, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg Berry Gordy Clive Davis and Quincy Jones all have called him a mentor).
    The Netflix documentary honoring him features two former Presidents and a future Vice President all singing his praises.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 103 Votes: 50.49% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 32 Votes: 59.38% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying