Atlanta Music Executive Clay Evans Has Died After Suffering a Stroke
Published March 27 2023, 10:23 a.m. ET
News recently broke that Clay Evans, an Atlanta music executive who represented musicians like T.I. and Travis Scott, has died at age 54.
Following the news of his death, which was announced via Instagram, many wondered what happened to Clay.
What was Clay Evans's cause of death? Here's what we know.
What was Clay Evans's cause of death?
Clay Evans, whose full name was Claybourne Evans Jr., died on March 24, according to a statement posted to the Instagram page for his brand management company Rubicon. Clay's death came after he suffered a massive stroke earlier this month, and it seems likely that that stroke was related to his cause of death. Neither his obituary nor the Instagram post offered a more official cause of death, though.
"It is with a heavy heart that the Evans family announces the untimely passing of my Father, Claybourne Evans Jr," the post reads. "He fought a good fight and transitioned peacefully surrounded by close family and friends on today, March 24, 2023. He lived an extraordinary life filled with love, hard work, and laughter. He touched many lives … Continue his legacy. The celebration of life will be announced at a later date. We ask for privacy and prayer for our family at this time."
Clay Evans was well known in the music world.
Clay, who was also the VP of Grand Hustle Records, was likely best known for representing T.I. and Travis Scott, but tributes came in from throughout the music world following the news of his death.
In a post on Instagram, comedian-rapper Lil Duval recounted a time when he had told Clay that he wouldn't be able to perform after he was hit by a car while four-wheeling.
"And he said to me, 'Oh you're getting back on that stage even if it's in a wheelchair and I gotta push you,' and he did just that," Lil Duvall explained. "As much of a legend and OG he was, he still was humble enough to wait on me hand and foot when I was down. He even went to the store and bought me underwear when I was in the hospital. He was over real."
Other tributes poured in from figures like Kevin Hart, Pharrell, and Snoop Dogg, which speaks to the enormous influence Clay had on the hip-hop world in particular. The 54-year-old's death was likely a shock to many who knew him. As Lil Duvall's story indicated, just last year, he was helping out some of his performers when they were struggling with their own injuries.
A celebration of life ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. on April 1 at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visitation will begin one hour before the service at the church, Stocks Funeral Home announced.
Based on the outpouring of love following his death, it seems clear that Clay had an enormous impact on the artists he worked with, and on the people he knew more personally. He's left a remarkable legacy behind him.
