Ahmet Ertegun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahmet Ertegun
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Ertegun circa 1960
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ahmet Ertegün |
| Also known as | A. Nugetre |
| Born | July 31, 1923 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 2006 (aged 83) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Record label executive, record producer, songwriter, composer, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1944–2006 |
| Labels | Atlantic |
Ahmet Ertegun (born July 31, 1923 – died December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman and music expert. He was also a songwriter and helped many charities.
Ertegun was the person who helped start and lead Atlantic Records. He found and supported many famous rhythm and blues and rock musicians. Ahmet also wrote classic blues and pop songs. He was the chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum in Cleveland, Ohio. People often say Ertegun was "one of the most important people in the modern music industry." In 2017, he was honored in the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame for his great work in music.
Ertegun also helped build strong connections between the U.S. and Turkey, where he was born. He led the American Turkish Society for over 20 years. He also helped create the New York Cosmos soccer team.
Contents
His Early Life and Love for Music
Ahmet Ertegun was born in Istanbul, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. His mother, Hayrünnisa, was a talented musician. She played keyboard and stringed instruments. She bought many popular records, which Ahmet and his brother, Nesuhi, loved to listen to. His older brother, Nesuhi, first introduced him to jazz music. When Ahmet was nine, Nesuhi took him to see famous jazz bands like Duke Ellington's and Cab Calloway's in London.
In 1935, Ahmet and his family moved to Washington, D.C.. His father, Munir Ertegun, became the Ambassador of Turkey to the United States. When Ahmet was 14, his mother bought him a special machine. He used it to create his own music and add words to songs.
Ahmet loved music so much that he spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C.'s black district. There, he often saw top musicians like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong. He went to a private school called Landon School. But Ahmet often joked that he got his "real education" at the Howard Theatre. This was a historic place in Washington, D.C., where many famous black artists performed.
Even though he grew up wealthy, Ertegun saw how black people were treated unfairly in America. He felt a strong connection to them. He said that Turks were also seen as outsiders in Europe because of their Muslim beliefs.
Ahmet and his brother Nesuhi often visited Milt Gabler's Commodore Music Shop. They collected over 15,000 jazz and blues records. They also met musicians like Ellington and Billie Holiday. Ahmet and Nesuhi even organized concerts for jazz legends like Lester Young and Sidney Bechet. They traveled to New Orleans and Harlem to listen to music. This helped them understand what kind of music people liked.
Ertegun finished college at St. John's College in 1944. His father passed away in November of that year. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman sent a battleship, the USS Missouri, to return his father's body to Turkey. This showed friendship between the U.S. and Turkey. It was also a way to show support against the Soviet Union. When his father died, Ahmet was studying at Georgetown University.
After his family returned to Turkey, Ahmet and Nesuhi stayed in the United States. Nesuhi moved to Los Angeles. Ahmet stayed in Washington and decided to work in the music business for a while.
Starting Atlantic Records
In 1946, Ertegun became friends with Herb Abramson. Herb was a dental student and also helped find new artists for a record company. They decided to start their own record label. They wanted to record gospel, jazz, and R&B music. With money from a family dentist, Dr. Vahdi Sabit, they started Atlantic Records in September 1947. Their first recordings were made that November in New York City.
After 22 records that didn't sell well, Atlantic finally had a big hit in 1949. It was with Stick McGhee's song "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee". The company grew bigger in the 1950s. Jerry Wexler and Ahmet's brother Nesuhi joined as partners. Many famous artists recorded with Atlantic, including Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, The Clovers, The Drifters, The Coasters, and Ray Charles.
Like the Ertegun brothers, many people who ran independent record companies came from immigrant families. The Ertegun brothers brought a jazz style into R&B music. They successfully mixed blues and jazz sounds from all over the country. Atlantic Records helped challenge the big record companies of that time. They found, developed, and supported new musical talent. In just a few years, Atlantic became the top rhythm and blues label. With the help of a clever engineer and producer named Tom Dowd, they made very high-quality recordings. Atlantic was one of the first labels to record in stereo. In 1957, it was the first record company to use an 8-track tape machine.
Ertegun himself wrote many classic blues songs. These included "Chains of Love" and "Sweet Sixteen." He used the name "A. Nugetre," which is "Ertegun" spelled backward. These songs were first sung by Big Joe Turner. Later, B.B. King also sang them. "Chains of Love" became a popular hit for Pat Boone. Ahmet also wrote the Ray Charles hit "Mess Around." The words for this song were inspired by "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie."
Other hit rhythm and blues songs written by "A. Nugetre" include "Whatcha Gonna Do" by The Drifters. Also, "Wild, Wild Young Men" by Ruth Brown, and Ray Charles's "Heartbreaker." "Middle of the Night" by The Clovers, "Ti-Ri-Lee" by Big Joe Turner, and "Story of My Love" by LaVern Baker were also his. All these songs were first recorded for Atlantic Records.
His Marriages
On January 6, 1953, Ertegun married Jan Holm. She was a Swedish-American actress and model. They did not have children and divorced around 1956.
In 1961, he married Ioana Maria "Mica" Grecianu. Mica later became a very famous interior designer. They also did not have children.
Later Career and Achievements
In the 1960s, Atlantic Records helped grow soul music. They worked with artists like Ben E. King, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, and Wilson Pickett. Ertegun helped introduce America to The Rascals. He found them at a nightclub in 1965 and signed them to Atlantic. They had 13 songs in the Top 40 charts in four years. They were later chosen for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Ertegun heard Led Zeppelin's first songs. He knew right away they would be a huge success. He quickly signed them to Atlantic. In the late 1970s, Ertegun also signed other artists to Atlantic Records. He also held the rights to recordings by Stephen Stills. After some talks, he signed Crosby, Stills and Nash. He then convinced them to let Neil Young join them on tour. This led to the famous group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Ertegun did not want to sell Atlantic Records at first. But his partner, Jerry Wexler, was worried about the company's future. After convincing Ahmet's brother Nesuhi, Ertegun agreed to sell Atlantic to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967.
Later, the Ertegun brothers used some of the money to help start the New York Cosmos soccer team. They were very important in bringing soccer legends like Pelé, Carlos Alberto, and Franz Beckenbauer to the club. They made the Cosmos a "dream team."
When Atlantic became part of a bigger company, Ertegun stayed in charge. He continued to produce some rock artists. He was also very good at talking with major stars. For example, when The Rolling Stones were looking for a record company, Ertegun personally talked with Mick Jagger. He successfully made a deal between the Stones and Atlantic. Other companies had offered the band more money, but Ertegun's skills won them over. He also took a special interest in the band Yes. He encouraged them to make sure their album 90125 had a hit song. It did, with "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
In 1987, Ertegun was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also one of its founders. In the late 1980s, he gave $1.5 million to help create the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. This foundation gives money to blues artists who were not paid enough in the past. Artists like John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, and Ruth Brown received help. In 1988, he received a Golden Plate Award.
Ertegun received an honorary music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 1991. In 1993, he received the Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime work. In 1995, the main hall of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum was named after him.
The United States Library of Congress honored Ertegun as a "Living Legend" in 2000. With his brother Nesuhi, he was added to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2005, he received the first "President's Merit Award Salute To Industry Icons."
Ertegun was interviewed in the 2005 film Make It Funky!. This movie tells the story of New Orleans music and its influence on other music styles.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Besides being a key person in music history, Ertegun was also a well-known helper of others. He worked to improve relations and understanding between the United States and his home country, Turkey. As the chairman of The American Turkish Society, he introduced many American leaders and artists to Turkey. He also helped get U.S. support for Turkey. After a big earthquake near Istanbul in 1999, Ertegun helped the Society's relief fund raise over $4 million. This money helped Turkey rebuild, especially in education.
Ertegun also gave money to support Turkish studies at Princeton and Georgetown universities. In 2008, the Ahmet Ertegun Memorial Scholarship was created. It helps music students of Turkish background study at the Juilliard School.
His Passing
On October 29, 2006, Ertegun had an accident at a Rolling Stones concert. He fell and hit his head. He was taken to the hospital right away. Ertegun fell into a coma and passed away on December 14, 2006.
Ertegun was buried on December 18 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was laid to rest next to his brother, his father, and his great-grandfather.
Remembering Ahmet Ertegun
A memorial service for Ertegun was held in New York on April 17, 2007. Many musicians performed to honor him. Wynton Marsalis started the tribute. Other performers included Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Stevie Nicks, and Phil Collins.
Another event to remember him took place in Los Angeles on July 31, 2007, which was his birthday. Many of his friends shared stories about him. Then, everyone watched a special movie called Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built.
The Martin Scorsese film Shine a Light, about The Rolling Stones' concert where Ertegun had his accident, is dedicated to him. Andrea Corr's solo album Ten Feet High is also dedicated "To the memory of Ahmet Ertegun."
To honor the Ertegun brothers, the Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. hosted jazz concerts. These "Ertegun Jazz Series" concerts helped bring cultures together through music.
Tribute Concert
Led Zeppelin reunited for a special concert to honor Ertegun. It was held at The O2 Arena in London on December 10, 2007. This was one of the few times the band's living members played together since their drummer John Bonham passed away in 1980.
The concert also featured other artists like Paolo Nutini and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. The show raised money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. This fund helps pay for university scholarships in the UK, US, and Turkey.
Art Collection
Ertegun had a collection of modernist artworks. This collection is now at The Baker Museum in Naples, Florida. It includes works by artists like Oscar Bluemner and Thomas Hart Benton.
See also
In Spanish: Ahmet Ertegün para niños
