When Avant burst onto the scene two decades ago, he was thrust into a category most R&B newcomers never experience. At just 20 years old, his appeal was a sure thing, particularly for Magic Johnson ...

The music executive's "extraordinary contribution to music and the barriers he broke throughout his career are unrivaled," Clive Davis wrote Daniel Levine is a Staff Editor at PEOPLE. He joined PEOPLE ...

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Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as the "Black ...