Biography
Clarence Avant was an American music executive, businessman and film producer. Born in Climax, North Carolina, he began his career managing a nightclub in Newark, New Jersey, in the 1950s before moving into artist management and record labels.
In 1969 he founded Sussex Records, which released albums by Bill Withers, Dennis Coffey, Gallery and Rodriguez. He later served as chairman of Motown Records and worked with artists including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. Avant appeared as himself in the documentary Searching for Sugar Man (2012) and in The Color Purple (1985). He died in Los Angeles in 2023.
