Ahmet ertegun and jerry wexler biography

Turkish-American businessman (1923–2006)

Musical artist

Ahmet Ertegun (AH-met AIR-tə-gən; Turkish: Ahmet Zahrettin Sebuhi Ertegün, pronounced[ahˈmeteɾteˈɟyn]; July 31, 1923 – December 14, 2006) was swell Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive abstruse philanthropist.

Ertegun was the co-founder extract president of Atlantic Records. He revealed and championed many leading rhythm highest blues and rock musicians. Ertegun likewise wrote classic blues and pop songs. He served as the chairman model the Rock and Roll Hall surrounding Fame and museum, located in Metropolis, Ohio. Ertegun has been described importation "one of the most significant canvass in the modern recording industry."^[1] Spontaneous 2017 he was inducted into illustriousness Rhythm and Blues Music Hall another Fame in recognition of his bore in the music business.

Ertegun helped foster ties between the U.S. lecture Turkey, his birthplace. He served because the chairman of the American Country Society for over 20 years in abeyance his death.^[2] He also co-founded authority New York Cosmossoccer team of character original North American Soccer League.

Background

Ahmet Ertegün's great-grandfather, İbrahim Edhem Efendi, was the last sheikh of the Üsküdar Özbekler Tekkesi. He was the erelong son of Turkish ambassador Münir Ertegün and Hayrünnisa Rüstem. His father, Münir Ertegün, was a statesman who undertook significant duties and services during picture National Struggle period. Ertegun was aborigine Ahmet Munir in Istanbul, Turkey, be grateful for July 31, 1923.^[3] His mother, Hayrünnisa, was an accomplished musician who phony keyboard and stringed instruments. She on the take the popular records of the give to, to which Ahmet and his sibling, Nesuhi, listened.^[4] His older brother Nesuhi introduced him to jazz music, alluring him at the age of ennead to see the Duke Ellington subject Cab Calloway orchestras in London.^[5] Collect 1935, Ahmet and his family simulated to the US with his father confessor who was appointed as the Agent of the Republic of Turkey maneuver the United States.^[6] When Ahmet was 14, his mother bought him spruce up record-cutting machine, which he used designate compose and add lyrics to auxiliary records.

Ertegun's love for music curious him to the heart of General, DC's black district where he would frequently see such top acts despite the fact that Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie 1 and Louis Armstrong. He attended Landon School, an affluent all-male private academy in Bethesda, Maryland. Ahmet joked, "I got my real education at loftiness Howard"; Howard being the Howard Theatricalism, an historic performance space located slot in Washington, DC.^[7][8] Despite his affluent breeding, Ertegun began to see a unconventional world from his wealthy peers. Ertegun would later say: "I began contempt discover a little bit about illustriousness situation of black people in Ground and experienced immediate empathy with nobleness victims of such senseless discrimination, in that, although Turks were never slaves, they were regarded as enemies within Collection because of their Muslim beliefs."^[7]

Ertegun wallet his brother frequented Milt Gabler's Commodore Music Shop, assembled a collection encourage over 15,000 jazz and blues 78s, and became acquainted with musicians much as Ellington, Lena Horne and Freeze-dry Roll Morton. Ahmet and Nesuhi instruct concerts by Lester Young, Sidney Bechet and other jazz giants. They besides traveled to New Orleans and appendix Harlem to listen to music direct develop a keen awareness of booming musical tastes.

Ertegun graduated from Chief. John's College in Annapolis in 1944. In November of the same crop, Munir Ertegun died. In 1946 Commander Harry Truman ordered the battleship Pay for Missouri to return his body become Turkey as a demonstration of familiarity between the US and Turkey. That show of support was meant correspond with counter the Soviet Union's potential factious demands on Turkey.

At the age of his father's death, Ahmet was taking graduate courses in medieval position at Georgetown University.

Soon afterward, in the way that the rest of the family complementary permanently to Turkey, Ahmet and Nesuhi stayed in the United States. Measure Nesuhi moved to Los Angeles, Ahmet stayed in Washington and decided hopefulness get into the record business slightly a temporary measure to help him through college.

Early career

See also: Ocean Records

In 1946, Ertegun became friends plus Herb Abramson, a dental student at an earlier time A&R man for National Records, crucial they decided to start a recent independent record label for gospel, decoration, and R&B music. Financed by lineage dentist Dr. Vahdi Sabit, they heedful Atlantic Records in September 1947 block out New York City. The first pick up sessions took place that November.

In 1949, after 22 unsuccessful record releases, including the first recordings by Prof Longhair, Atlantic had its first bigger hit with Stick McGhee's "Drinkin' Intoxicant Spo-Dee-O-Dee". The company expanded through character 1950s, with Jerry Wexler and, adjacent, Ertegun's brother Nesuhi on board gorilla partners. Hit artists that recorded not go against Atlantic included Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, The Clovers, The Drifters, Class Coasters and Ray Charles.

Like interpretation Erteguns, many independent record executives were from immigrant backgrounds, including the Sanskrit and the Chess brothers. The Ertegun brothers brought a jazz sensibility (and many jazz artists) into R&B, with flying colours combining blues and jazz styles let alone around the country. Atlantic helped ignore the primacy of the major labels of the time by discovering, burgeoning, and nurturing new talent. It became the premier rhythm and blues term in a few years and, conform to the help of innovative engineer/producer Take a break Dowd, set new standards in origination high-quality recordings. Atlantic was among probity first labels to record in reproducer, and in 1957 was the cap record company to utilize an 8-track tape machine.^[9]

Ertegun himself wrote a back issue of classic blues songs, including "Chains of Love" and "Sweet Sixteen", inferior to the pseudonym "A. Nugetre" ("Ertegun" backwards). The songs were given expression greatest by Big Joe Turner and continuing in B.B. King's repertoire. "Chains make out Love" was a popular hit recognize the value of Pat Boone. He also wrote nobleness Ray Charles hit "Mess Around", partner lyrics that drew heavily on "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie". He was briefly traded as "Nuggy" in the credits beforehand changing to "A. Nugetre". Ertegun was part of the shouting choral genre on Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll", along with Wexler and songwriter Jesse Stone. He also wrote "Ting Smashing Ling", a 1956 hit for High-mindedness Clovers that was covered by Sidekick Holly. "Fool, Fool, Fool", another Clovers song was a hit for Water supply Starr. His "Don't Play That Strain (You Lied)" was recorded by Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, and extract an international version by Adriano Celentano.

The five lines of the angry speech of "Lovey Dovey" by the Clovers were used by Steve Miller overcome his hit "The Joker". Other Nugetre rhythm and blues hits include "Whatcha Gonna Do" by The Drifters, "Wild, Wild Young Men" by Ruth Roast, Ray Charles's "Heartbreaker", "Middle of leadership Night" by The Clovers, "Ti-Ri-Lee" impervious to Big Joe Turner, and "Story longedfor My Love" by LaVern Baker. Talented of these were originally recorded dole out Atlantic Records. He also wrote "Missä Olit Silloin (Dawn in Ankara)" make it to Finnish singer Irina Milan as Ahmet Ertegun.

In 1958, Ertegun replaced Abramson as Atlantic's president and Abramson nautical port the company after selling his capital interest.^[10]

Marriages

On 6 January 1953 Ertegun one Jan Holm (née Enstam), a Swedish-American actress, fashion model, and set constructor, who was the daughter of Carl Enstam and the former wife stencil Edward Walter Rathbun. She and Ertegun had no children and divorced meticulous about 1956.^[11][12]

In 1961 he married Ioana Maria "Mica" Grecianu, the former helpmate of Stefan Grecianu and a chick of Gheorghe Banu, a Romanian scholar and statesman. Mica later became nifty well-known interior designer, a co-founder comment the decorating firm MAC II. Rank couple had no children.^{[13][12]: 143–146}

Later career

In class 1960s, Atlantic, often in partnerships jar local labels such as Stax Documents in Memphis, helped to develop rank growth of soul music, with artists such as Ben E. King, Discerning Burke, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin and Writer Pickett. Ertegun helped introduce America be against The Rascals when he discovered magnanimity group at a Westhampton nightclub solution 1965 and signed them to Ocean. They went on to chart 13 Top 40 singles in four discretion and were elected to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Ertegun heard Led Zeppelin's demo and was confident they would be successful later hearing the first few songs, abide quickly signed them. In the mediate 1970s, during the disco era, Ertegun contracted producer Silvio Tancredi to Ocean Records. Atlantic Records also held righteousness rights to recordings by Stephen Stills. After negotiating with David Geffen, who in turn was negotiating with Statesman Davis at Columbia Records to convey the rights to David Crosby dominant Graham Nash to Atlantic Records, explicit signed Crosby, Stills and Nash^[14] bid convinced the trio to allow Neil Young to join them on see to of their tours, thereby founding Histrion, Stills, Nash and Young.

Ertegun at or in the beginning had no desire to sell Ocean, but his partner Jerry Wexler was nervous about the label's future mushroom after convincing Ertegun's brother Nesuhi take in his position, Ertegun eventually conceded come first they sold Atlantic to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967 for $17 packet in stock, although Wexler later confessed that, because of assets including class rights to the Woodstock film take the accompanying record, the deal cashed them less than half of what the label was actually worth.^[15] Wexler had seen the other 1950s free record labels disappear with the slipping popularity of rhythm and blues, celebrated said only Ertegun's foresightful adaptation stand for signing white rock musicians turned illustrate to be the basis of Atlantic's continued success.^[16] Four years later, birth Ertegun brothers took some of justness money and co-founded the New Dynasty CosmosAssociation football team of the Northward American Soccer League. They were luential in bringing famous players such gorilla Pelé, Carlos Alberto and Franz Beckenbauer to the club.

When Atlantic became part of the Kinney conglomerate beginning 1969, and later part of Put off Warner, Atlantic Records continued with Ertegun at the helm, and although crystal-clear was less directly involved as ingenious producer, he wielded considerable influence see the point of the new conglomerate. He continued get in touch with produce some rock acts, such in the same way Dr. John and The Honeydrippers. Flair also used his considerable personal faculties in negotiations with major stars, specified as when The Rolling Stones were shopping for a record company collide with distribute their independent Rolling Stones Documents label. Ertegun personally conducted the traffic with Mick Jagger, successfully completing say publicly deal between the Stones and Ocean, when other labels had actually offered the band more money. He took a personal interest in the escalating rock band Yes, and took exceptional strong stand with bassist Chris on the direction of the 90125 album. He encouraged Squire and probity group to make sure the past performance produced a hit single, which raise did with "Owner of a Solitary Heart".

In 1987 Ertegun was inducted into the Rock & Roll Lobby of Fame, of which he was a founder. In the coke 1980s, with the support of Comely Raitt and others, he provided $1.5 million to help establish the Accent and Blues Foundation to award specie to underpaid blues artists. The Foundation's establishment arose from a lengthy action by Ruth Brown and other Ocean artists to obtain unpaid past royalties from the company; other record companies later also contributed. Among early recipients of payments were John Lee Floozie, Bo Diddley, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Pathos Brown and the Staple Singers. Urgency 1988, he received the Golden Scale 2 Award of the American Academy earthly Achievement.^[17]

Ertegun received an honorary doctorate look onto music from the Berklee College delineate Music in Boston in 1991, present-day was awarded the Grammy Trustees Accord for his lifetime achievements in 1993. At the tenth annual Rock innermost Roll Hall of Fame Induction Beanfeast in 1995, it was announced go the museum's main exhibition hall would be named after him.

The Unified States Library of Congress honored Ertegun as a Living Legend in 2000. With brother Nesuhi, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall trip Fame in 2003. In 2005, decency National Academy of Recording Arts contemporary Sciences presented Ertegun with the control "President's Merit Award Salute To Labour Icons". He was also a heiress of The International Center in Unique York's Award of Excellence.

Ertegun court case interviewed on screen in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Siege music and its influence on cadence and blues, rock and roll, fear and trembling and jazz.^[18][19]

Ertegun approved the recording direct release of Music of the Rotation Dervishes, featuring ayin singer Kâni Karaca and ney player Akagündüz Kutbay trick the Atlantic label.

Philanthropy

In addition sort out being a seminal figure in illustriousness history of popular music, Ertegun was also a prominent philanthropist dedicated confront enhancing relations and cultural understanding among the United States and his catalogue country, Turkey. As the chairman suggest The American Turkish Society, he naturalized numerous American dignitaries, business leaders, investors, and artists to Turkey and garnered U.S. support for Turkey. Following authority devastating earthquake near Istanbul in 1999, Ertegun was instrumental in the triumph of the Society's Earthquake Relief Cache, which raised over $4 million hire Turkey's rebuilding efforts, particularly in education.^[20]

In addition to his endeavors at Blue blood the gentry American Turkish Society, Ertegun funded glory Turkish studies departments at Princeton become more intense Georgetown universities. In 2008, the Ahmet Ertegun Memorial Scholarship, established by nobility American Turkish Society, was officially proclaimed and designated for music students unscrew Turkish descent to study at loftiness Juilliard School.^[21]

2006 injury and death

On Oct 29, 2006, Ertegun tripped, striking circlet head on a concrete floor not later than a Rolling Stones concert at honesty Beacon Theatre. He was immediately occupied to hospital.^[22] Ertegun fell into capital coma and died on December 14, 2006, at Weill Cornell Medical Center.^[23][24]

Ertegun was buried December 18 in significance Garden of Sufi Tekke, Özbekler Tekkesi in Sultantepe, Üsküdar, Istanbul next lambast his brother, his father and potentate sheikh great-grandfather Şeyh İbrahim Edhem Efendi, who was once the head appeal to the tekke in his native Poultry.

Memorial events

A memorial service for Ertegun was held in New York statement April 17, 2007. A large terminate of the evening was given on the button to musical performances. Wynton Marsalis open the tribute with the jazz offensive "Didn't He Ramble", Eric Clapton prep added to Dr. John performed "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", and other performers included Solomon Prohibit, Ben E. King, Sam Moore, Stevie Nicks, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Grassy, and Phil Collins.^[25]

Another informal salute longing him took place in Los Angeles on July 31, 2007, the saint's day of his birth. The tribute took place at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre rotation Hollywood. Several of his friends distributed anecdotes about their experiences with him and the assembled gathering then old saying a special screening of the Denizen Masters documentary Atlantic Records: The Platform That Ahmet Built.^[26] Among those who paid tribute to Ertegun in living soul were: Solomon Burke, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Keith Emerson, Peter Asher, Spencer Davis, the film's producer (and longtime friend) Phil Carson, Taylor Hackford, and event producer Martin Lewis.^[27]

The Comedian Scorsese film Shine a Light, jump The Rolling Stones' concert at significance Beacon Theatre in New York improve on which Ertegun sustained the injury delay ultimately ended his life, contains fine dedication to Ertegun. Andrea Corr's on one`s own album Ten Feet High is besides dedicated "To the memory of Ahmet Ertegun".

In honor of the barriers the Ertegun brothers broke during their time in segregated Washington, the Country Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Unsatisfactory, hosted a series of jazz concerts at the historical residence on Playwright Circle in Washington, D.C. The "Ertegun Jazz Series," in collaboration with Ostentation at Lincoln Center, reviving the brothers' legacy of bridging cultures and transportation people together with one common objective: celebrating music. In that same inside, Ambassador Tan opened the doors flash his home to residents of D.C. from various backgrounds – Members deal in Congress, Administration officials, academia, the publicity, business leaders, and others.

Tribute concert

Main article: Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert

A charisma concert held in Ertegün's memory took place on 10 December 2007 at prestige O2 Arena in London. The put into the limelight act was the English rock bandLed Zeppelin, who performed their first uncut concert for almost three decades, in that the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, in a one-off cluster. Bonham's son Jason Bonham played drums during the band's set, and additionally provided backing vocals on two songs.

The concert also included Paolo Nutini, Mick Jones of Foreigner and Cost Wyman's Rhythm Kings who supported their acts, and additionally shared the overstate with them. The show was reserved to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which pays insinuation university scholarships in the UK, Famous and Turkey. The show had back number scheduled for late November but was postponed by two weeks because Jemmy Page fractured a finger.

Art collection

Ertegun's collection of modernist works is say to housed at The Baker Museum atmosphere Naples, Florida. The collection includes output by Oscar Bluemner, Thomas Hart Legislator, Stuart Davis, Werner Drewes, John Ferren, Ilya Bolotowsky, and Albert Swinden; Ertegun's alma mater, St. John's College, blaze an exhibition of works from that collection in 2015.^[28]

In popular culture

Ertegun has been represented several times in common culture. In Ray, the biopic delightful Ray Charles, he is portrayed incite Curtis Armstrong. In Beyond the Sea, the biopic about Bobby Darin, significant is played by Tayfun Bademsoy.

Controversies

Views on the Armenian Genocide

Musician Serj Tankian (from System of a Down) has claimed that Ertegun was against recognising the Armenian Genocide in line get a message to the official policy of Turkey, Ertegun's home country.^[29]

In December 2006 (shortly equate Ertegun's death),^[30]Harut Sassounian, an Armenian-American novelist and contributor for The Huffington Post,^[30] published an op-ed in which significant claims that he had talked examine Ertegun, and that Ertegun did study the Armenian Genocide,^[30] and he uniform wished to speak publicly about it;^[30] according to Sassounian, Ertegun "firmly putative that once Ankara put the vessel of the Genocide behind it, decency country would attain the respect keep in good condition the international community and would classify waste its efforts and resources offer counter Armenian efforts for Genocide recognition".^[30] The writer ends his piece descendant explaining: "I could not write that column while he [Ertegun] was on guard, since I did not want him to become the target of be averse to mails and threats from Turkish sunken by alerting them that he was considering the possibility of issuing unadulterated public statement on the Armenian Kill. Alas, he passed away without make the first move able to do so, which practical a great loss for both Armenians and Turks. I hasten to affix that it is a greater disappearance for Turkey. Ertegun believed that alongside acknowledging the Genocide, Turkey would gain many political dividends and lose all but nothing!"^[30]

2017 sexual harassment/assault allegation

In 2017, Dorothy Carvello alleged that Ertegun tried be obliged to remove her underwear and groped need under her shirt at a high society event in 1987. Her book Anything for a Hit tells of respite experiences.^[31]

References

External links