The first trailer for “The Black Godfather,” Reginald Hudlin’s documentary about black entertainment trailblazer Clarence Avant, has been released. The film features interviews with Snoop Dogg, P. Diddy, David Geffen, Clive Davis, Diane Warren, Lionel Richie and Irving Azoff, among other industry titans. Former president Barack Obama also makes an appearance.
Hudlin spent three years making what he terms “a secret movie” about Avant, the music executive who rose from a manager of jazz artists in the 1950s to discovering Bill Withers, producing black-oriented theater productions and films, launching one of the first fully black-owned radio stations and offering his advice as a mentor to countless artists and executives.
In “The Black Godfather,” premiering June 7 on Netflix and in select theaters, Hudlin chronicles Avant’s life, from fighting his way through Jim Crow America to eventually having an impact on luminaries as diverse as Quincy Jones (pictured above, at left, with Avant and Whitney Houston), Muhammad Ali and Bill Clinton. (Worth noting: Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos is Avant’s son-in-law; in 2009, Sarandos married Nicole Avant, who served as Obama’s U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas.)
Avant was a true behind-the-scenes mover and shaker: He helped save the Stax and Motown labels at different junctures in his career; counseled MGM and ABC in the 1970s on how to deal with black American culture; and redefined the industry for entertainers of color. Today, Avant is a go-to adviser for hit-makers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid and Babyface. Jamie Foxx also features prominently in “The Black Godfather” — the actor starred in 2012’s Oscar-nominated “Django Unchained,” on which Hudlin served as producer, and was also on hand for Avant’s 2016 star dedication on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Marshall director Reginald Hudlin has signed on to direct Beyond the Velvet Rope, a musical film that will be based on the original music of Andreas Carlsson. The prolific Swedish songwriter has penned hits for the likes of Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and American Idol stars including Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken.
The original script for Velvet Rope was penned by Oscar-winning Rain Man writer Ron Bass and Walter Becker & G.L. Lambert. It centers on an up-and-coming pop star named Sky who falls in love with her prolific songwriter Luke as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1970s. They make a fairy-tale ascent to the top, but Luke begins to drift from his first love (music) and finds the fine line between success and failure, and the realization that life can turn on a single song.
Carlsson, an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year whose songs have sold more than 150 million units, has written 14 new songs for the pic, which he is also producing alongside Marcus Englefield and George Lee for Storyoscopic Films. Executive producers are Niklas Bergman, Hudlin, Robyn Klein, Andrew Lerios, and Jeremy Ross.
“The ability to work closely with a film rooted in music has been on my bucket list and is a genre that started my career,” said Hudlin, a prolific TV director who was Oscar-nominated for producing Django Unchained in 2017. “The opportunity to blend a well-written story with exceptional original songs is a special moment as a director and music lover. The raw reality of ascending and descending and then finding success as an artist of any kind in Hollywood is filled with the kind of emotion that organically allows for great storytelling.”
Added Carlsson: “The music for this film is
inspired by the core of my upbringing. As a Swede, I was enamored with American
pop culture and the music of the late 70s along with the films from the era. I
am looking forward to working with Reggie who has fully grasped the musical
vision of the film. Along with my musical collaborators Kalle Engstrom and
Jörgen Elofsson, we are ready to create an important film that will focus on a
significant part of America’s musical timeline.”
Hudlin, who also produced the Oscars in 2017, is repped by CAA. The pic deal was negotiated by Weintraub Tobin, Qap Legal, and Fox Rothschild.
The third installment of Marcus
Miller and Reggie Hudlin’s hugely popular celebration of black movie music
returns! Hosted by the very funny comedian/musician Craig Robinson, this year’s
installment promises new clips, special guests, and some fan favorites.
Programs, artists, dates, prices and availability subject to change.
Craig, Marcus and me at the Hollywood Bowl press event. With Herbie Hancock photobombing in the background.
Less than 24 hours after it was revealed that Wu-Tang Clan is releasing an EP later this week (May 17), in conjunction with Showtime documentary, Wu-Tang: Of Mics & Men. Heads now get some new music and information from the project released through Mass Appeal (who is also behind the film) and Wu’s 36 Chambers, LLC. Ghostface Killah and RZA have teamed to release “On That Sh*t Again,” the opening song from the upcoming companion release.
The song features a piano and drum beat. G.F.K. begins with a story about a night out, after an argument at home. Things get hairy as Ghost’ gets ready for a show at Madison Square Garden with Dru Hill. The Staten Island MC packs artillery for the event before RZA drops in with a recent rhyme about living the lavish life.
According to Pitchfork, who premiered the song, the soundtrack is executive produced by RZA’s brother, Mitchell “Divine” Diggs and Mustafa Shaikh. Notably, Divine says in Wu-Tang: Of Mics & Men that the film includes his first interview. Sacha Jenkins’ documentary chronicles the late 1990s fallout between Divine and members of the Wu-Tang Clan surrounding management and the former’s production company. In episode 4 of the film, there is footage of Ghostface and Divine arguing over royalties and management commissions from that era.
The seven-song collection also includes some audio footage, from Nas and Hip-Hop journalist-turned-Luke Cage series creator Cheo Hodari Coker. Notably, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Method Man do not appear to be involved.
I’ve always wanted to make a “secret” movie, one I did on the down low that no one knew about until it was about to come out. Well, I’ve finally done it. For the past three years, I’ve been shooting my first documentary feature film, and it will be released worldwide on June 7th! We literally just finished it and turned it over to Netflix, who financed and is releasing the film.
The movie is called THE BLACK GODFATHER and I promise it’s gonna blow your mind. Here’s an article about it from BILLBOARD magazine:
Industry Pioneer Clarence Avant Spotlighted in Netflix Doc ‘The Black Godfather’: Exclusive
Clarence Avant poses for a portrait during the 41st NAACP Image awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on Feb. 26, 2010 in Los Angeles.
Feature-length project bows June 7
Music industry legend Clarence
Avant is the focus of the forthcoming Netflix documentary The Black Godfather. Produced by Avant’s
daughter Nicole Avant and directed by Reggie Hudlin, the feature-length
documentary will premiere June 7.
The documentary’s title is derived from Avant’s longtime—and well-deserved—nickname: the “Godfather of Black Music.” During a multi-faceted career that dates back to the racially charged ‘60s, Avant defied convention and perception by parlaying his natural talent as a powerhouse negotiator into successful tenures as an artist manager, label executive, radio broadcaster, music publisher and ongoing social activist/philanthropist.
In addition to mentoring hitmaking producers and executives such as Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Sony/ATV chairman/CEO Jon Platt, Avant has played a key, behind-the-scenes role for a diverse list of celebs, sports figures and dignitaries that includes Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Muhammad Ali and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
The Black Godfather chronicles Avant’s colorful, barrier-breaking career and enduring legacy through insightful interviews with an industry who’s who. Among those paying tribute are Snoop Dogg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, hit songwriter Diane Warren, Lionel Richie, David Geffen, music/film producer Suzanne de Passe, Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge, actress Cicely Tyson and Jamie Foxx. Avant received the Industry Icons Award at the 2019 Pre-Grammy Gala in February. He was also presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016.
