THE BLACK GODFATHER

FEATURING A POST-SCREENING CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR REGINALD HUDLIN AND PRODUCER NICOLE AVANT

Grammy Museum LA
800 W Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Jun 25, 2019
Doors: 6:30 pm; Show: 7 pm
$20

For decades, entertainers, athletes, and political figures have turned to a single man for advice during the most pivotal moments in their lives and careers. The Black Godfather charts the exceptional and unlikely rise of Clarence Avant, a music executive who remained behind the scenes, influencing legends such as Bill Withers, Quincy Jones, Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The GRAMMY Museum will screen this new Netflix feature-length documentary, after which Director Reginald Hudlin and Producer (and daughter of Clarence Avant) Nicole Avant will discuss the film, in a conversation moderated by Scott Goldman.

Escaping from the Jim Crow South and emerging as a powerhouse negotiator on both coasts at a time when deep-seated racism penetrated every corner of America, Avant defied notions of what a black executive could do and redefined the industry for entertainers of color altogether. He continues to influence hit-makers — including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid, and Babyface — serving as the go-to adviser in their personal and professional lives. Meanwhile, the film features interviews with Snoop Dogg, P. Diddy, Diane Warren, Lionel Ritchie, Suzanne de Passe, David Geffen, Jerry Moss, Sir Lucian Grainge, Cecily Tyson, and Jamie Foxx, among others. 

NEW YORK TIMES TALKS ABOUT BLACK GODFATHER

‘The Black Godfather’
Starts streaming: June 7

The ultimate guy-behind-the-guy, Clarence Avant spent decades in the music business as a manager and producer, first representing jazz and R&B artists and then growing to influence the fates of the Stax and Motown labels and having an impact on the careers of Quincy Jones, Muhammad Ali, Snoop Dogg and countless other African-American icons. Avant isn’t a household name, but the director Reginald Hudlin’s documentary aims to change that with a murderer’s row of high-profile testimonials. “The Black Godfather” connects the disparate pieces of Avant’s life through commentary from music stars like Snoop and P. Diddy, executives like David Geffen and Clive Davis, and former President Barack Obama.