Ahmet Ertegun
Encyclopedia
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American
musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records
. He also wrote classic blues and pop
songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and museum. Ertegun has been described as "one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry." He also co-founded the New York Cosmos
soccer team of the North American Soccer League
.
to a Turkish
family, Ahmet and his family, including elder brother Nesuhi
, moved to Washington, D.C.
in 1935, with their father, Münir Ertegün
, who served as the first Ambassador of the then-young Republic of Turkey to the United States of America.
Ahmet's older brother Nesuhi introduced him to jazz music, taking him to see the Duke Ellington
and Cab Calloway
orchestras in London
at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen his mother bought him a record-cutting machine which he used to compose and add lyrics to instrumental records. The brothers also frequented Milt Gabler
’s Commodore Record Store, assembled a large collection of over 15,000 jazz and blues 78
s, and became acquainted with musicians such as Ellington, Lena Horne
and Jelly Roll Morton
. Ahmet and Nesuhi staged concerts by Lester Young
, Sidney Bechet
and other jazz giants, often at the Jewish Community Center, which was the only place that would allow a mixed audience and mixed band. They also traveled to New Orleans and to Harlem to listen to music and develop a keen awareness of developing musical tastes.
In 1944 Munir Ertegün died, and in 1946 President Truman ordered the battleship USS Missouri
to return the deceased to Turkey as a demonstration of friendship between US and Turkey. This act also served as a show of support to counter the Soviet Union
's potential political demands on Turkey.
Ahmet graduated from St. John's College
in Annapolis in 1944. At the time of his father’s death he was taking graduate courses in Medieval philosophy
at Georgetown University
. Soon after, the family returned to Turkey. Ahmet and Nesuhi stayed in the United States. While Nesuhi moved to Los Angeles
, Ahmet stayed in Washington and decided to get into the record business as a temporary measure to help him through college.
, a dental
student and A&R
man for National Records
, and they decided to start a new independent record label for gospel
, jazz and R&B music. Financed by family dentist Dr. Vahdi Sabit, they formed Atlantic Records in September 1947 in New York City
, and the first recording sessions took place that November.
In 1949, after 22 unsuccessful record releases including the first recordings by Professor Longhair
, Atlantic had its first major hit with Stick McGhee
's "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee". The company expanded through the 1950s, with Jerry Wexler
and, later, Nesuhi Ertegün on board as partners, and with hit artists including Ruth Brown
, Joe Turner
, The Clovers
, The Drifters
, The Coasters
, and Ray Charles
.
Many independent record executives, like the Erteguns, were from immigrant backgrounds, including the Bihari brothers
and the Chess brothers
. The Ertegun brothers
brought a jazz sensibility (and many jazz artists) into R&B, successfully combining blues and jazz styles from around the country. Atlantic helped challenge the primacy of the major labels of the time by discovering, developing and nurturing new talent. It became the premier rhythm and blues label in a few short years, and set new standards in producing high quality recordings. In 1957, Atlantic was among the first labels to record in stereo
.
Ahmet himself wrote a number of classic blues
songs, including "Chains of Love" and "Sweet Sixteen", under the pseudonym
A. Nugetre (Ertegün backwards). The songs were given expression first by Big Joe Turner
and continued in B.B. King's repertoire. He also wrote the Ray Charles hit "Mess Around
", with lyrics that drew heavily on Pinetop Smith
. Ahmet was part of the shouting choral group on Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll
", along with Wexler and songwriter Jesse Stone
.
in Memphis
, helped to develop the growth of soul music
, with artists such as Ben E. King
, Solomon Burke
, Otis Redding
, Percy Sledge
, Aretha Franklin
and Wilson Pickett
. Ahmet heard Led Zeppelin
's demo
and knew they would be a smash hit after hearing the first few songs, and quickly signed them. After signing Crosby, Stills and Nash
Ertegun convinced the trio to allow Neil Young
to join them on one of their tours, thereby founding Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
. Ahmet helped introduce America to blue-eyed soul
when he discovered The Rascals
at a Westhampton
nightclub in 1965 and signed them to Atlantic. They went on to chart 13 Top 40 singles in four years and were elected to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Ahmet initially had no desire to sell Atlantic, but his partner Jerry Wexler was nervous about the label's future and after convincing Nesuhi of his position, Ahmet eventually conceded and they sold Atlantic to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
in 1967 for $17 million in stock, although Wexler later admitted that the deal paid them less than half of what the label was actually worth. Four years later, the brothers took some of the money and co-founded the New York Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League. They were instrumental in bringing in soccer legends like Pelé
, Carlos Alberto
and Franz Beckenbauer
to the club. They transformed the Cosmos into a "dream team". Their love for soccer was the reason that the Cosmos were born.
When Atlantic became part of the Kinney
conglomerate in 1969, and later part of Time Warner
, Atlantic Records continued with Ahmet Ertegun at the helm, and although he was less directly involved as a producer, he wielded considerable influence in the new conglomerate. He continued to produce some rock acts, such as Dr. John
and The Honeydrippers
. He also used his considerable personal skills in negotiations with major stars, such as when The Rolling Stones
were shopping for a record company to distribute their independent Rolling Stones Records
label. Ahmet personally conducted the negotiations with Mick Jagger
, successfully completing the deal between The Stones and Atlantic, when other labels had actually offered the band more money.
In 1987, Ahmet was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which he himself was a founder. In the late 1980s with the support of Bonnie Raitt
and others, he provided $1.5 million to help establish The Rhythm and Blues Foundation
to award money to underpaid blues artists. The Foundation's establishment arose from a lengthy battle by Ruth Brown
and other Atlantic artists to obtain unpaid past royalties from the company; other record companies later also contributed. Among early recipients of payments were John Lee Hooker
, Bo Diddley
, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ruth Brown
and the Staple Singers.
Ahmet Ertegun received an honorary doctorate in music from the Berklee College of Music
in Boston in 1991, and was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award
for his lifetime achievements in 1993. At the tenth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in 1995, it was announced that the museum's main exhibition hall would be named after Ertegün.
The United States Library of Congress honored Ahmet as a Living Legend
in 2000. With brother Nesuhi, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 2003. In 2005, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
presented Ahmet with the first "President's Merit Award Salute To Industry Icons". He was also a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
Ahmet approved the recording and release of "Music of the Whirling Dervishes" featuring ayin singer Kâni Karaca
and ney
player Akagündüz Kutbay
on his Atlantic label.
. Prior to the show Ahmet was backstage in a VIP social area that was known on the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour
as the "Rattlesnake Inn" when he tripped and fell, striking his head on the concrete floor. He was immediately rushed to the hospital after the fall (the Rolling Stones' performance that evening was captured by Martin Scorsese
in the documentary film entitled Shine a Light
). Although Ahmet was initially in stable condition, he soon took a turn for the worse. This announcement was made by Led Zeppelin
's guitarist Jimmy Page
, during the band’s induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame
. Ahmet slipped into a coma
and died weeks later on December 14, 2006, with his family by his side, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Ahmet Ertegun was buried December 18 in the Garden of Sufi Tekke, Özbekler Tekkesi in Sultantepe, Istanbul
, in Üsküdar
, İstanbul
, next to his brother, his father, and his Sheikh great-grandfather Şeyh İbrahim Edhem Efendi, who was once the head of the tekke
in his native Turkey. At the garden were hundreds of mourners, including his wife Mica, members of the Ertegün family, Turkish dignitaries and various entertainers.
opened the tribute with the jazz standard "Didn’t He Ramble", Eric Clapton
and Dr. John
performed "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", and other performers included Solomon Burke
, Ben E. King
, Sam Moore
, Stevie Nicks
, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Phil Collins
.
Another informal salute to him took place in Los Angeles on July 31, 2007, the anniversary of his birth. The tribute took place at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
in Hollywood. Several of his friends shared anecdotes about their experiences with Ahmet and the assembled gathering then saw a special screening of the American Masters
documentary Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built. Among those who paid tribute to Ertegün in person 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. Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens
, came to America after a 20 year hiatus to attend the ceremonies.
The Martin Scorsese
film "Shine a Light
" about The Rolling Stones
concert held at the Beacon Theatre in New York contains a dedication to Ahmet Ertegun and Andrea Corr
's solo album Ten Feet High
is dedicated "To the memory of Ahmet Ertegun".
In honor of the barriers the Ertegun brothers broke during their time in segregated Washington, the current Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Tan, hosts a series of jazz concerts at the historical residence on Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C. The “Ertegun Jazz Series,” in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
, revives the brothers’ legacy of bridging cultures and bringing people together with one common objective: celebrating music. In that same spirit, Ambassador Tan is opening the doors of his home to residents of D.C. from various backgrounds – Members of Congress, Administration officials, academia, the media, business leaders and others.
reunited for a one-off show in a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun at the O2 Arena
in London
on December 10, 2007.
The band headlined a bill that also included Paolo Nutini
, Mick Jones of Foreigner
, and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
who supported their acts, and additionally shared the stage with them. The show was held to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegün Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey
. The show had been scheduled to take place in November but had been postponed by two weeks because of Jimmy Page
fracturing a finger.
, the biopic of Ray Charles
, Ahmet Ertegun is portrayed by Curtis Armstrong
. In Beyond the Sea
, the biopic about Bobby Darin
, Ahmet is played by Tayfun Bademsoy
. Ahmet Zappa
was named after Ertegun, who played an important role in Frank Zappa
's early career.
Turkish American
Turkish Americans are people who have Turkish ancestry and are citizens of the United States.-History:Early Turkish immigrants to the United States were predominantly from Turkey's rural community. They settled in large, industrial cities and found employment as unskilled laborers...
musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. He also wrote classic blues and pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
and museum. Ertegun has been described as "one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry." He also co-founded the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
soccer team of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
.
Background
Born in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
family, Ahmet and his family, including elder brother Nesuhi
Nesuhi Ertegun
Nesuhi Ertegun was a Turkish record producer and executive of Atlantic Records and WEA International.-Background:Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Nesuhi and his family, including younger brother Ahmet, moved to Washington, D.C...
, moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1935, with their father, Münir Ertegün
Münir Ertegün
Mehmet Münir Ertegün was a Turkish legal counsel in international law to the "Sublime Porte" of the late Ottoman Empire and a diplomat of the Turkish Republic during its early years...
, who served as the first Ambassador of the then-young Republic of Turkey to the United States of America.
Ahmet's older brother Nesuhi introduced him to jazz music, taking him to see the Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
orchestras in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen his mother bought him a record-cutting machine which he used to compose and add lyrics to instrumental records. The brothers also frequented Milt Gabler
Milt Gabler
Milton Gabler was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century.-Early life:...
’s Commodore Record Store, assembled a large collection of over 15,000 jazz and blues 78
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s, and became acquainted with musicians such as Ellington, Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
and Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
. Ahmet and Nesuhi staged concerts by Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
and other jazz giants, often at the Jewish Community Center, which was the only place that would allow a mixed audience and mixed band. They also traveled to New Orleans and to Harlem to listen to music and develop a keen awareness of developing musical tastes.
In 1944 Munir Ertegün died, and in 1946 President Truman ordered the battleship USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
to return the deceased to Turkey as a demonstration of friendship between US and Turkey. This act also served as a show of support to counter the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's potential political demands on Turkey.
Ahmet graduated from St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in Annapolis in 1944. At the time of his father’s death he was taking graduate courses in Medieval philosophy
Medieval philosophy
Medieval philosophy is the philosophy in the era now known as medieval or the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD to the Renaissance in the sixteenth century...
at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. Soon after, the family returned to Turkey. Ahmet and Nesuhi stayed in the United States. While Nesuhi moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Ahmet stayed in Washington and decided to get into the record business as a temporary measure to help him through college.
Early career
In 1946, Ahmet Ertegün became friends with Herb AbramsonHerb Abramson
Herbert C. Abramson was an American record company executive and producer.He was born in 1916 in Brooklyn, New York City and initially studied to be a dentist but he landed a job with National Records producing such performers as The Ravens, Billy Eckstine and Joe Turner...
, a dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
student and A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man for National Records
National Records
National Records was a record label that was started in New York by Albert Green in 1945 and lasted till early 1951.Big Joe Turner was signed at the outset and remained until 1947. Billy Eckstine was also a big seller for the label as were The Ravens...
, and they decided to start a new independent record label for gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, jazz and R&B music. Financed by family dentist Dr. Vahdi Sabit, they formed Atlantic Records in September 1947 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and the first recording sessions took place that November.
In 1949, after 22 unsuccessful record releases including the first recordings by Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, Atlantic had its first major hit with Stick McGhee
Stick McGhee
Granville Henry McGhee, also known as Stick McGhee, was an African-American jump blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his blues song, "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee".-Early life:...
's "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee". The company expanded through the 1950s, with Jerry Wexler
Jerry Wexler
Gerald "Jerry" Wexler was a music journalist turned music producer, and was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s...
and, later, Nesuhi Ertegün on board as partners, and with hit artists including Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
, Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and...
, The Clovers
The Clovers
-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...
, The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
, The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
, and Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
.
Many independent record executives, like the Erteguns, were from immigrant backgrounds, including the Bihari brothers
Bihari brothers
The Bihari Brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American music entrepreneurs and the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries such as Meteor Records based in Memphis.-Origins:...
and the Chess brothers
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
. The Ertegun brothers
Ertegun brothers
The Ertegun brothers, Nesuhi Ertegün and Ahmet Ertegün , sons of Turkish diplomat Münir Ertegün, were the Turkish-American executives of Atlantic Records. They also co-founded the legendary New York Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League....
brought a jazz sensibility (and many jazz artists) into R&B, successfully combining blues and jazz styles from around the country. Atlantic helped challenge the primacy of the major labels of the time by discovering, developing and nurturing new talent. It became the premier rhythm and blues label in a few short years, and set new standards in producing high quality recordings. In 1957, Atlantic was among the first labels to record in stereo
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
.
Ahmet himself wrote a number of classic blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
songs, including "Chains of Love" and "Sweet Sixteen", under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
A. Nugetre (Ertegün backwards). The songs were given expression first by Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and...
and continued in B.B. King's repertoire. He also wrote the Ray Charles hit "Mess Around
Mess Around
"Mess Around", written by Atlantic Records president and founder Ahmet Ertegün using the pseudonym of "A. Nugetre", or "Nuggy" on record labels, was one of Ray Charles’ first hits...
", with lyrics that drew heavily on Pinetop Smith
Pinetop Smith
Clarence Smith, better known as Pinetop Smith or Pine Top Smith was an American boogie-woogie style blues pianist...
. Ahmet was part of the shouting choral group on Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake, Rattle and Roll
"Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a prototypical twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, and most successfully by Bill Haley & His Comets...
", along with Wexler and songwriter Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres...
.
Marriage
In 1961, he married émigrée Romanian aristocrat Ioana Maria Banu, known as Mica Ertegun, who became a prominent interior designer.Later career
In the 1960s, Atlantic, often in partnerships with local labels like Stax RecordsStax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, helped to develop the growth of soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, with artists such as Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
, Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
. Ahmet heard Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and knew they would be a smash hit after hearing the first few songs, and quickly signed them. After signing Crosby, Stills and Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
Ertegun convinced the trio to allow Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
to join them on one of their tours, thereby founding Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
. Ahmet helped introduce America to blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
when he discovered The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
at a Westhampton
Westhampton, New York
Westhampton is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,869 at the 2000 census.Westhampton is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:Westhampton is located at ....
nightclub in 1965 and signed them to Atlantic. They went on to chart 13 Top 40 singles in four years and were elected to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Ahmet initially had no desire to sell Atlantic, but his partner Jerry Wexler was nervous about the label's future and after convincing Nesuhi of his position, Ahmet eventually conceded and they sold Atlantic to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts was formed in 1967 and became defunct in 1970, when Seven Arts Productions acquired Jack Warner's controlling interest in Warner Bros. for $32 million and merged with it. The deal also included Warner Bros. Records, Reprise Records and the B&W Looney Tunes library...
in 1967 for $17 million in stock, although Wexler later admitted that the deal paid them less than half of what the label was actually worth. Four years later, the brothers took some of the money and co-founded the New York Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League. They were instrumental in bringing in soccer legends like Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Carlos Alberto
Carlos Alberto Torres
Carlos Alberto Torres is a former Brazilian footballer, one of the most highly regarded defenders of all time. He captained Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup and is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, as well as the U.S...
and Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
to the club. They transformed the Cosmos into a "dream team". Their love for soccer was the reason that the Cosmos were born.
When Atlantic became part of the Kinney
Kinney National Company
Kinney National Services, Inc. was formed in 1966 when the Kinney Parking Company and the National Cleaning Company merged. The new company was headed by Steve Ross....
conglomerate in 1969, and later part of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, Atlantic Records continued with Ahmet Ertegun at the helm, and although he was less directly involved as a producer, he wielded considerable influence in the new conglomerate. He continued to produce some rock acts, such as Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
and The Honeydrippers
The Honeydrippers
The Honeydrippers was a rock band of the 1980s. Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to satisfy his long-time goal in having a rock band with a heavy R&B basis. Formed originally in Worcestershire, the band went on to record an EP in the US...
. He also used his considerable personal skills in negotiations with major stars, such as when The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
were shopping for a record company to distribute their independent Rolling Stones Records
Rolling Stones Records
Rolling Stones Records is the record label formed by The Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. They were first distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records subsidiary...
label. Ahmet personally conducted the negotiations with Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, successfully completing the deal between The Stones and Atlantic, when other labels had actually offered the band more money.
In 1987, Ahmet was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which he himself was a founder. In the late 1980s with the support of Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
and others, he provided $1.5 million to help establish The Rhythm and Blues Foundation
Rhythm and Blues Foundation
The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music....
to award money to underpaid blues artists. The Foundation's establishment arose from a lengthy battle by Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
and other Atlantic artists to obtain unpaid past royalties from the company; other record companies later also contributed. Among early recipients of payments were John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
and the Staple Singers.
Ahmet Ertegun received an honorary doctorate in music from the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston in 1991, and was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award
Grammy Trustees Award
The Grammy Trustees Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "individuals who, during their careers in music, have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording". Through 1983, performers could also receive this award...
for his lifetime achievements in 1993. At the tenth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in 1995, it was announced that the museum's main exhibition hall would be named after Ertegün.
The United States Library of Congress honored Ahmet as a Living Legend
Library of Congress Living Legend
A Library of Congress Living Legend is someone recognized by the Library of Congress for his or her creative contributions to American life. Those honored include artists, writers, activists, film makers, physicians, entertainers, sports figures, and public servants.-Partial list of honorees:*...
in 2000. With brother Nesuhi, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
in 2003. In 2005, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
presented Ahmet with the first "President's Merit Award Salute To Industry Icons". He was also a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
Ahmet approved the recording and release of "Music of the Whirling Dervishes" featuring ayin singer Kâni Karaca
Kani Karaca
Kâni Karaca , born in Adana, Turkey was a Turkish singer. He lost his eyesight at the age of 2 and memorized the Quran in elementary school. He came to Istanbul in 1950 and worked with Sadettin Kaynak, a major composer and performer of Turkish music at the time...
and ney
Ney
The ney is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. It is a very ancient instrument, with depictions of ney players appearing in wall paintings in the Egyptian pyramids and actual neys being found...
player Akagündüz Kutbay
Akagündüz Kutbay
Aka Gündüz Kutbay , a leading Turkish ney player of the 1960s and 1970s, was known for his traditional sound, deep tones , and interest in jazz, Tibetan, Indian, and other world musics.Kutbay was a staff musician for many years at Radio Istanbul, where he considered himself a...
on his Atlantic label.
2006 injury and death
At the age of 83 on October 29, 2006, Ahmet Ertegun attended a Rolling Stones benefit concert at the Beacon Theatre for the Clinton Foundation, which was attended by former US President, Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Prior to the show Ahmet was backstage in a VIP social area that was known on the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang...
as the "Rattlesnake Inn" when he tripped and fell, striking his head on the concrete floor. He was immediately rushed to the hospital after the fall (the Rolling Stones' performance that evening was captured by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
in the documentary film entitled Shine a Light
Shine a Light (film)
Shine a Light is a 2008 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese documenting The Rolling Stones' 2006 Beacon Theatre performance on their A Bigger Bang Tour. The Scorsese film also includes archive footage from the band's career and marked the first utilisation by Scorsese of digital...
). Although Ahmet was initially in stable condition, he soon took a turn for the worse. This announcement was made by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, during the band’s induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame
UK Music Hall of Fame
The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The Hall of Fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five more members selected by a public televote, two from each...
. Ahmet slipped into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and died weeks later on December 14, 2006, with his family by his side, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Ahmet Ertegun was buried December 18 in the Garden of Sufi Tekke, Özbekler Tekkesi in Sultantepe, Istanbul
Sultantepe, Istanbul
Sultantepe is a neighborhood in the municipality of Üsküdar on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey. The name Sultantepe means "sultan hill."...
, in Üsküdar
Üsküdar
Üsküdar is a large and densely populated municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Beykoz, on the east by Ümraniye, on the southeast by Ataşehir, on the south by Kadıköy, and on the west by the Bosphorus, with the areas of Beşiktaş,...
, İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, next to his brother, his father, and his Sheikh great-grandfather Şeyh İbrahim Edhem Efendi, who was once the head of the tekke
Khanqah
A Khanqah, Khaniqah , ribat, zawiya, or tekke is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation...
in his native Turkey. At the garden were hundreds of mourners, including his wife Mica, members of the Ertegün family, Turkish dignitaries and various entertainers.
Memorial events
A memorial service for Ahmet Ertegun was held in New York on April 17, 2007. A large part of the evening was given over to musical performances. Wynton MarsalisWynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
opened the tribute with the jazz standard "Didn’t He Ramble", Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
performed "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", and other performers included Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
, Sam Moore
Sam Moore
Samuel David Moore is an American Southern Soul and Rhythm & Blues singer who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 through 1981...
, Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
.
Another informal salute to him took place in Los Angeles on July 31, 2007, the anniversary of his birth. The tribute took place at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, is one of the world's most famous movie theatres. Opened in 1922, it was the venue for the first-ever Hollywood premiere.- History :...
in Hollywood. Several of his friends shared anecdotes about their experiences with Ahmet and the assembled gathering then saw a special screening of the American Masters
American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
documentary Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built. Among those who paid tribute to Ertegün in person were: Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, Peter Asher
Peter Asher
Peter Asher is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a record producer.-Early life:He was born at the Central Middlesex Hospital, a child actor and...
, Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
, the film's producer (and longtime friend) Phil Carson, Taylor Hackford
Taylor Hackford
Taylor Edwin Hackford is an American film director, and the current president of the Directors Guild of America.-Early life:Hackford was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Mary , a waitress, and Joseph Hackford...
and event producer Martin Lewis. Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, came to America after a 20 year hiatus to attend the ceremonies.
The Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
film "Shine a Light
Shine a Light (film)
Shine a Light is a 2008 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese documenting The Rolling Stones' 2006 Beacon Theatre performance on their A Bigger Bang Tour. The Scorsese film also includes archive footage from the band's career and marked the first utilisation by Scorsese of digital...
" about The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
concert held at the Beacon Theatre in New York contains a dedication to Ahmet Ertegun and Andrea Corr
Andrea Corr
Andrea Jane Corr is an Irish musician, songwriter and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon, and Jim...
's solo album Ten Feet High
Ten Feet High
-Release history:* Japan: 21 June 2007* Ireland: 22 June 2007* UK/Europe: 25 June 2007* Canada: 26 June 2007* Finland: 27 June 2007* Germany: 29 June 2007* Australia 23 July 2007* New Zealand 7 August 2007* Spain: 21 August 2007* Portugal: 27 August 2007...
is dedicated "To the memory of Ahmet Ertegun".
In honor of the barriers the Ertegun brothers broke during their time in segregated Washington, the current Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Tan, hosts a series of jazz concerts at the historical residence on Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C. The “Ertegun Jazz Series,” in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center is part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. JALC's performing arts complex, Frederick P. Rose Hall, is located at West 60th Street and Broadway in New York City, slightly south of the main Lincoln Center campus and directly adjacent to Columbus Circle. Frederick P....
, revives the brothers’ legacy of bridging cultures and bringing people together with one common objective: celebrating music. In that same spirit, Ambassador Tan is opening the doors of his home to residents of D.C. from various backgrounds – Members of Congress, Administration officials, academia, the media, business leaders and others.
Ahmet Ertegün tribute concert
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
reunited for a one-off show in a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on December 10, 2007.
The band headlined a bill that also included Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. His father is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, although both his parents are Scottish, his family having been in Scotland for three generations....
, Mick Jones of Foreigner
Mick Jones (Foreigner)
Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
, and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings are a blues-rock band founded and led by former Rolling Stones bass guitarist Bill Wyman. Together with his lifelong musical partner Terry Taylor, The "Dirty Boys" duo produce, arrange and compose original material for the award winning band.The Rhythm Kings are known for...
who supported their acts, and additionally shared the stage with them. The show was held to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegün Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The show had been scheduled to take place in November but had been postponed by two weeks because of Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
fracturing a finger.
Popular culture
Ahmet Ertegun has been represented several times in popular culture. In RayRay (film)
Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...
, the biopic of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Ahmet Ertegun is portrayed by Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:...
. In Beyond the Sea
Beyond the Sea (film)
Beyond the Sea is a 2004 biographical film based on the life of singer/actor Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey, who stars in the lead role and used his own singing voice for the musical numbers, co-wrote, directed, and co-produced the film, which takes its title from the Darin song of the same name...
, the biopic about Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, Ahmet is played by Tayfun Bademsoy
Tayfun Bademsoy
Tayfun Bademsoy is a Turkish-German actor who currently has over 250 TV and cinema productions. He is known for his appearance in many crime-scene series. In his first Hollywood role, he played the role of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegün in the movie Beyond the Sea...
. Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his...
was named after Ertegun, who played an important role in Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's early career.