A tremendous tragedy occurred at the home of the legendary music executive, known as the Godfather of Black Music. Early this morning Clarence Avant, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in just October, lost his wife of 54 years.
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In a home invasion that resulted in gunfire, Avant’s wife, Jacqueline Avant, was fatally wounded. A source from the investigation spoke to TMZ about the terrible tragedy, recounting what happened. After one of the suspects broke the window and entered the home, he began shooting. At least one of the bullets hit Jacqueline. They rushed her to the hospital, where she succumbed to her wounds, and was pronounced dead.
The couple lived in the wealthy community of Trousdale Estates, which is a neighborhood in Beverly Hills. TMZ learned that the Beverly Hills Police Department’s dispatcher received a call at 2:30AM. The caller said someone had been shot in a home invasion. A source close to the family told TMZ that those who broke into the home fired shots, and hit Jackie. They also said Clarence was home at the time. Law enforcement confirmed that Clarence was not hurt. In addition, they said the home had security, but when the security guard received gunfire, he did not return any shots.
Jacqueline Avant was an empowering figure in the community. She was the President of the Neighbors of Watts, where she supported efforts in strengthening child care services. And in addition, she served on the Board of Directors for UCLA’s International Student Center. She had one daughter, Nicole Avant, and one son, Alexander Devore Avant, with husband Clarence. Their daughter married Ted Sarandos, the CEO of Netflix. Jacqueline Avant passed away at the age of 81.
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Featured image via Hollywood Reporter.