— Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year, industry veteran and former Motown chairman Clarence Avant — revered as the “Godfather of Black Music”– will receive the Black Business Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award on June 20. In recognition of Black Music Month, the awards dinner — themed “The Business Behind the Music” — will be held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
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Lee Bailey, founder of the online site Electronic Urban Report, will also be honored for his pioneering achievements in radio. Ethiopia Habtemariam, president of urban music for Universal Music Publishing Group and Motown president, serves as the dinner chairperson alongside Quincy Jones as honorary dinner chairman. The BBA, headed by president/CEO Earl “Skip” Cooper II, has previously honored Berry Gordy Jr., Smokey Robinson and Janet Jackson, among others. For more information, visit www.bbala.org.
— iTunes/Apple Music’s Larry Jackson is among the industry executives who will be honored at the Living Legends Foundation’s 2017 awards dinner. The annual affair will take place Oct. 5 at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, Calif. Jackson will be presented with the Digital Music Executive Award.
Rounding out this year’s honoree slate: Junes Entertainment Company principal Varnell Johnson (Chairman’s Award), Aex Media/Charleston’s Steve Crumbley (Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award), Empire distribution’s Morace Landy (Music Label Executive Award), Central City Productions’ Don Jackson (Broadcast Icon Award), Chew Entertainment’s Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew (Creative Visionary Award) and Brooklyn United/former Cold Chilln’ Records’ executive Tyrone Williams (Hip-Hop Rap Visionary Award). Event chairpersons are RCA Records’ Geo Bivins and singer/songwriter Siedah Garrett; host is media personality Rolonda Watts. Ticket information is available at www.eventbrite.com.
— Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Rodney Jerkins has signed a new act to his Lifestyle Music Group roster: Shelby 5. The Detroit-based sibling ensemble is already at work with Jerkins on a new album and plans to release a single this summer. Shelby 5, which has toured with fellow inspirational artist Donnie McClurkin and performed on the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, joins LMG roster-mates Tim Bowman and Joy Enriquez. Jerkins recently wrapped his first season as supervising music producer for the Fox television series Empire.