I realize that I’m some schmoe that writes about film and TV projects for a living. I’m not curing cancer, building rockets, teaching the youth of America, or changing the world in some meaningful, everlasting way. But holy shit, watching the trailer for Netflix’s upcoming doc “The Black Godfather” makes me realize that my friend group needs a major upgrade. I am nowhere near the level of Mr. Clarence Avant.
Who is Clarence Avant, exactly? Well, he’s the titular ‘Black Godfather’ that the film tackles. As seen in the new trailer, Avant is the man-behind-the-man that helped shape the face of Black culture over the last several decades. The trailer calls him the “original influencer,” which seems to be the understatement of a lifetime. Honestly, you would think he’s the Pope when you see just the laundry list of incredible, powerful figures that have nothing but great things to say about him.
The film’s truly impressive list of talking heads includes Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Bill Withers, Quincy Jones, Hank Aaron, Snoop Dogg, P. Diddy, Diane Warren, Lionel Richie, Suzanne de Passe, David Geffen, Jerry Moss, Sir Lucian Grainge, Cicely Tyson, and Jamie Foxx. Seriously. I can’t even begin to imagine the paltry list of talking heads that would be featured in my life story doc. Sorry, mom, but I have to strive for Obama-level friends.
“The Black Godfather” hits Netflix on June 7.
Here’s the synopsis:
For decades, the world’s most high profile entertainers, athletes and politicians have turned to a single man for advice during the most pivotal moments in their lives and careers, including Grammy Award® winners, Hall of Famers, a Heavyweight Champion of the World and two U.S. Presidents. That man is Clarence Avant.
The Black Godfather charts the exceptional and unlikely rise of Avant, a music executive whose trailblazing behind-the-scenes accomplishments impacted the legacies of icons such as as Bill Withers, Quincy Jones, Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Driven by a sense of equality, loyalty, and justice, Avant left the Jim Crow south behind to emerge as a powerhouse negotiator at a time when deep-seated racism penetrated every corner of America. Avant defied notions of what a black executive could do, redefining the industry for entertainers and executives of color and leaving a legacy of altruism for others to emulate.
