Clarence Avant, the executive who was commonly referred to as the “godfather of Black music,” has died at 92. “Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” his family wrote in a statement provided to Billboard. “The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”

Avant was born in Climax, North Carolina in 1931. He moved to New Jersey as a teenager, and started out as a manager of a lounge in Newark. He soon moved over to talent, managing the careers of Little Willie John, Sarah Vaughn, Freddie Hubbard, Creed Taylor, and more. Avant became known as a dealmaker with an eye for discovering talent. In 1968, he brokered the deal to sell Stax Records; he also founded a number of record labels of his own, including Sussex and Tabu.

In 1970, he signed Bill Withers to his first record deal and helped manage his early career. His other signees included Dennis Coffey, the SOS Band, Gallery, and many more. In 1971, Avant purchased the license for KTYM-FM in California and renamed it KAGB-FM, becoming the first Black-owned FM radio station in the Los Angeles area.

Over the decades, Avant was involved in rise of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. He was also the promoter of Michael Jackson’s first solo tour in support of Bad in 1988. In 1993, he was named chairman of Motown Records. He served as a mentor and friend to figures in both the music industry and outside of it, including Quincy Jones, Jimmy Iovine, Sylvia Rhone, Jon Platt, NFL player Jim Brown, and Muhammad Ali.

In 2019, Avant was the subject of a documentary called The Black Godfather. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and received the Ahmet Ertegun Award. He was inducted by Lionel Richie; Bill Withers, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris all spoke about Avant’s legacy in a pre-recorded video aired at the ceremony.

Avant married his wife Jacqueline in 1967; she died in 2021, shot and killed during a home burglary. He has two children: Nicole Avant, a former US ambassador to the Bahamas and wife of Netflix executive Ted Sarandos, and Alex, an agent and producer. Avant passed away at his Los Angeles home on Sunday, August 13.