26.06.2018
Article: Cem Kayıran
Illustration: Saydan Akşit
Translation: Yetkin Nural
Ahmet Ertegün, born in Istanbul on 31st July 1923, was one of the pioneers of 20th Century music with all the names he brought into the scene and the legendary record label Atlantic Records that he founded. On the anniversary of his birthday, we are looking at some of the highlights from this legend’s life.
*After traveling various European metropolises throughout his childhood because of his father’s diplomatic duties, Ahmet Ertegün ended up in the United States. He already had become an expert on popular music in his teenage years, and his mother’s gift on his 14th birthday, Cootie Williams’ West and Blues album played an important role in his musical interests.
*Ahmet Ertegün was spending his youth days listening to music in his room with his older brother Nesuhi, and by the time he was 18, he already had a collection of 50 thousand records. In this period, he developed friendships with important figures like Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington and he founded Atlantic Records with some financial support from a family friend in 1947. Because of his already established friendships in the music scene, the first contracts of the company followed right after.
*Atlantic Records’ adventure started off with Harlemaies’ The Rose of the Rio Grande album and only continued to expand from thereafter. The first hit of the label came two years later with Stick Mcghee’s Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee album and that was the first of many successful releases that the 50’s would bring. From Joe Turner to Ray Charles, Coleman Hawkins to Bobby Darin, Atlantic Records published albums on a wide musical spectrum, and in 1959 Arif Mardin joined the team.
“The reason why we founded Atlantic Records was to be able to do contracts with some musicians we liked and release albums that we wanted to sell. To be honest, I never thought that I would be able to make money from doing something that is so much fun. I am very happy that I was wrong.” - Ahmet Ertegün
*By the 60’s, the influence of Ahmet Ertegün and Atlantic Records in the music scene became much bigger. Looking at some of the names and bands that Ertegün discovered and the albums he released justifies why he became known as “the man who shaped rock’n’roll”: Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder and many more.
*Winning three Grammy awards in his lifetime, Ertegün was inducted in the Library of Congress Living Legends list in 2000.
*Aside from his innovative moves and breakthroughs in the music industry, Ahmet Ertegün was also a key figure in developing interest for soccer in the United States. He became one of the co-founders of New York Cosmos soccer team in 1971 and recruited period’s international soccer stars like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto to the team.
*As one of the few figures who shaped the last century of popular music, Ahmet Ertegün’s life became the subject of three books. The first one was Music Man: Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic Records, and the Triumph of Rock'N'Roll, published in 1989. The biography was written by Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie and narrated the first 42 years of Ertegün’s music journey.
*Ahmet Ertegün’s autobiography What’d I Say came out from Welcome Rain Publishers in 2001, in which Ertegün’s told the story of his 50 years old music adventure in his own words. With rare photos and rock’n’roll stories never told before, the book created a huge sensation.
*Ahmet Ertegün’s last biography, The Last Sultan, came out in 2012. The author of the book, Graham Nash, who is especially known for his books on The Rolling Stones, described Ahmet Ertegün’s effect on people the best with these words:
“This guy could make wallpaper turn around and look at him. Every time he walked into a room, it didn't matter who else was there. Elvis could have been there and everyone would have been looking at Ahmet. It was very obvious when he walked into the room that this was a mighty, mighty presence.” - Ahmet Ertegün