'He was so damn cool': 'CBS Mornings' host Gayle King pays heartfelt tribute to Clarence Avant who died at 92

'Godfather of Black Music' Clarence Avant died at the age of 92 on Monday, August 14, at his Los Angeles home
PUBLISHED AUG 15, 2023
'CBS Mornings' host Gayle King took to her social media and shared how she spent a 'summer Saturday afternoon' with 'Godfather of Black Music' Clarence Avant (Theo Wargo/Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
'CBS Mornings' host Gayle King took to her social media and shared how she spent a 'summer Saturday afternoon' with 'Godfather of Black Music' Clarence Avant (Theo Wargo/Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The world has lost another one of its musical legends that did a lot more than just leave us with their unforgettable work.

Known as the 'Godfather of Black Music', music executive Clarence Avant died at the age of 92 on Monday, August 14, at his Los Angeles home.

Numerous industry personalities came forward to share their memories and mourn the loss of the music legend, and one among them was 'CBS Mornings' host Gayle King.

The 'CBS Mornings' host took to her Instagram to share a little insight into her relationship with Avant through a heartfelt post.  

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - NOVEMBER 09:  Jacqueline Avant (L) and Clarence Avant attend the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Awards 2017 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on November 9, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.  (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation )
Clarence Avant's wife Jacqueline Avant died in 2021 (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Gayle King pays heartfelt tribute to Clarence Avant 

On Tuesday, August 15, King took to her social media and shared how she spent a 'summer Saturday afternoon with Clarence Avant'. King was seen sitting with the music exec in a homely space that looked like Avant's own abode.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Gayle King (@gayleking)


 

King captioned the post, "A Summer Saturday afternoon with Clarence Avant," adding, "The man known as the Black Godfather was wise about so many things every conversation was a treat." 

"What will I miss about him?" King continued in the caption, "His humor.. his bluntness.. his wisdom..his love..hmmm how about everything....he was so damn cool!"

How did Clarence Avant die? 

Avant's sudden death was announced by his family but the cause of the same remains unknown.

However, even though he is less well-known outside of the entertainment industry and Hollywood, Avant's name is still heard on innumerable music recordings as a result of what he accomplished for Black performers.

His commitment to ensuring that this art is devoid of racial exploitation allowed artists like Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and many other great jazz names to be signed under Avant, and they were able to grow in their musical careers as a result.

Clarence Avant attends Netflix world premiere of
Clarence Avant at the premiere of the Netflix documentary based on him called 'The Black Godfather' (Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

Moreover, he also went on to support other celebrity careers as an important figure in celebrity management and managed politicians, actors, and many others. 

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