Ertegün brothers
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The Ertegün brothers, Ahmet Ertegün (born July 31, 1923) and Nesuhi Ertegün (November 26, 1917–April 15, 1989), were the Turkish founders and executives of Atlantic Records.
They also 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.
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[edit] Background
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, they moved to Washington, DC with their father M. Münir Ertegün, who was then the Turkish Ambassador to the United States.
- See also: List of Turkish diplomats
[edit] Early career
Ahmet Ertegün, producer Tom Dowd, Herb Abramson and others created Atlantic Records in the late 1940s as an independent record company that became, with the added partnership of Jerry Wexler, a jazz and pop empire in the 1960s. Their first success came in rhythm and blues (R&B), with such artists as Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, The Clovers, The Drifters, and Ray Charles. Regarding Charles, Ahmet Ertegün is quoted as saying "First time I saw Ray I told him, 'You are the fucking end, you know.'"
They brought a jazz sensibility (and many jazz artists) into R&B and participated in turning the genre from a minority interest into a major part of the musical scene. Ahmet Ertegün 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 continue in B.B. King's repertoire. "Nugetre" also wrote the Ray Charles' hit "Mess Around", with lyrics that drew heavily on Pinetop Smith.
Nesuhi was persuaded to join Atlantic in 1955 and became vice-president in charge of the jazz and LP department.
During the 1960s, Ahmet heard Led Zeppelin's demo and knew they would be a smash hit after hearing the first few songs. He quickly signed them. He also convinced Crosby, Stills and Nash to allow Neil Young to join them on one of their tours, thereby founding Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Ahmet 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. Ertegun 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.
The Ertegüns' primary musical interest was jazz. In the 1940s, while living in Los Angeles, Nesuhi owned the Jazz Man Record Shop, which, in addition to selling jazz records produced by other labels, also produced their own on the Jazz Man and Crescent labels. At Jazz Man, Nesuhi produced the classic Kid Ory revival recordings in 1944 and 1945. In the early 1950s, Nesuhi worked at his friend, Lester Koenig's, Contemporary Records. When Les Koenig was approached by Lawrence Morton of the UCLA music department to teach a course in jazz at UCLA, he recommended Nesuhi. Nesuhi thus taught the first course in jazz taught at a major American university. At Atlantic, Nesuhi produced records for artists like John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Les McCann and Hank Crawford. Both brothers promoted jazz concerts, founded jazz record companies, and organized jazz bands. Nevertheless, they were also open to more modern popular styles and worked with such famous artists as Sonny and Cher.
In 1971, Nesuhi founded WEA International, now Warner Music International.
- See also: Atlantic Records
[edit] Later career
Many independent record executives, like the Ertegüns, were from immigrant backgrounds, including the Bihari brothers and the Chess brothers.
In 1987, Ahmet was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which he himself was the founder. Nesuhi Ertegün was inducted posthumously four years later. Ahmet 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; Nesuhi was awarded the same posthumously two years later in 1995. The United States Library of Congress honored Ertegun as a "Living Legend" in 2000. The Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame at Jazz at Lincoln Center was dedicated to Nesuhi in 2004. In 2005, the Recording Academy presented Ahmet with the first "President's Merit Award Salute To Industry Icons". For their contributions to the sport of soccer, both were inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.
[edit] Today
Ahmet Ertegün is currently recovering in the hospital after a fall at a Rolling Stones performance on November 5, 2006. Ertegun, 83, slipped and hit his head backstage while the band were playing at former US President Bill Clinton's 60th birthday party in New York Sunday 29 October 2006 [1]. After being in a positive stable situation [2], he has been reported to be in a coma and on life-support [3].
[edit] Popular culture
In Ray, the biopic of Ray Charles, Ahmet Ertegün is portrayed by Curtis Armstrong. In Beyond the Sea, the biopic about Bobby Darin, Ahmet is played by Tayfun Bademsoy.
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa (born May 15, 1974 in Los Angeles, California) is the third of four children born to American musician Frank Zappa and Gail Sloatman. Ahmet Zappa was named after Ahmet Ertegun, who played an important role in Frank Zappa's early career.
