Wife of Legendary Music Mogul Clarence Avant Shot & Killed in Home Invasion

Clarence Avant’s wife Jacqueline was shot and killed in their Los Angeles home. The two have been married since 1967.

Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant, was shot and killed in a home invasion that happened at their Los Angeles home on Tuesday night. Jacqueline was 81.

According to Deadline, the incident occurred at the Trousdale Estates, which is right next to Beverly Hills. According to TMZ’s sources, the 9/11 call  came a little before 2:30 AM PT. The caller told the dispatcher there was a shooting. At the time, Jacqueline had already been taken to the hospital. According to the reports, Clarence was in the house when the incident happened. It is unclear if he was harmed in any kind of way. 

Clarence Avant is one of the most legendary music executives of all time. Known as the “Black godfather,” Avant entered the business side of music in the early ’60s to empower black artists. He quickly developed a reputation as a fixer and connector of Black entertainers and activists. He worked with Venture Records in Los Angeles and founded the labels Sussex and Tabu, signing icons like Bill Withers, Dennis Coffey, and Idris Muhammad. Avant is also credited for saving Stax and Motown at pivotal moments that risked their erasure.

Later on, Avant made moves in Hollywood, producing Save The Children, Deliver Us From Evil, and Jason’s Lyric. He passed his notes from a mentorship with Louis Armstrong’s longtime manager to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid, and Babyface, taking them all under his wing at different junctures in their respective careers.

Avant has been married to Jacqueline —  also known as Jackie — since 1967. They  have two children, daughter Nicole Avant —who was the former United States Ambassador to the Bahamas — and son Alexander Du Bois Avant. Nicole is married to Netflix  CEO Ted Sarandos. In 2019, she produced a Netflix documentary based on her father called The Black Godfather.

Back in October Avant was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.