Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun dies...

mechmike0034 · 12-15-2006, 07:20 AM

It is a sad, sad day for music fans...

If there is one man who had the greatest influence over American popular music in the last fifty years, from Ray Charles to Gnarls Barkley, it was Ahmet Ertegun.

From Slate magazine - http://www.slate.com/id/2114074:

Quote:

In 1947, Ahmet Ertegun, the 24-year-old son of a distinguished Turkish diplomat, borrowed $10,000 from his dentist and, with his older brother Nesuhi and another friend, formed Atlantic Records. Over the next 50 years, Ertegun would discover, sign, popularize, and/or produce Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding—who called him "Omelette"—Bette Midler, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Booker T. and the MGs, Sam and Dave, Cream, the Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin, the Coasters, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, Roberta Flack, the Spinners, the Allman Brothers, Genesis, Foreigner, Pete Townshend, Stevie Nicks, Buffalo Springfield, the Blues Brothers, Tori Amos, and Phil Collins, among others.

If he said that a song would become a hit, it did. If he told an artist that they would become a star, they did.

More here: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_6162.aspx

ShawnLee · 12-15-2006, 08:11 AM

Sucks. I didn't learn about him till college, but man, what an impact.

johnnymk · 12-15-2006, 08:45 AM

Quite a list of great artists. I wonder what he thought about rap.

ray · 12-15-2006, 09:04 AM

Atlantic Records never directly signed rap artists, but they did own a substantial stake in Interscope Records whose lineup included a handful of rappers.

mechmike0034 · 12-15-2006, 11:06 AM

More from the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/ar...ic&oref=slogin

johnnymk · 12-15-2006, 12:41 PM

per mechmike's link to the NY Time's story:

"His instincts were not impeccable. He lost out on chances to sign the Beatles and Elvis Presley."

Well, if I had been him, I wouldn't have signed them on either

mechmike0034 · 12-15-2006, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnymk

per mechmike's link to the NY Time's story:

"His instincts were not impeccable. He lost out on chances to sign the Beatles and Elvis Presley."

Well, if I had been him, I wouldn't have signed them on either

From the Slate article linked in my original post:

Quote:

Slate: Who is the one artist you wish you had signed?

AE: [laughs] Everybody who didn't make a record for me. Well, I came close to signing Elvis Presley. I offered $25,000 for his contract and they asked for $45,000 and I just didn't have the other $20,000. I should have gotten the Beatles. But one of my lawyers kind of messed up.

Slate: That's quite a big mess-up.

AE: [sighs] It was a big mess-up. However, it was the same lawyer who later got me all the rights to Woodstock six months before it happened. After I sold my company to Warners, one of the things they got was the movie rights to Woodstock, which was a huge feature film.

KIISQueen · 12-15-2006, 01:41 PM

I seen this story on last night's news. Very sad may he R.I.P.

mechmike0034 · 12-18-2006, 09:04 AM

http://apnews.myway.com//article/200...D8M3APCO0.html

The memorial should be quite the all-star performance...

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12-15-2006, 08:45 AM	#3
johnnymk Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: May 2000 Location: LEVITTOWN< PA> USA Posts: 13,621	Quite a list of great artists. I wonder what he thought about rap.

12-15-2006, 09:04 AM	#4
ray captain awesome Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 7,054	Atlantic Records never directly signed rap artists, but they did own a substantial stake in Interscope Records whose lineup included a handful of rappers.

12-15-2006, 11:06 AM	#5
mechmike0034 aka the keg killer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ala-effin'-bama! Posts: 2,738	More from the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/ar...ic&oref=slogin

12-15-2006, 12:41 PM	#6
johnnymk Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: May 2000 Location: LEVITTOWN< PA> USA Posts: 13,621	per mechmike's link to the NY Time's story: "His instincts were not impeccable. He lost out on chances to sign the Beatles and Elvis Presley." Well, if I had been him, I wouldn't have signed them on either

12-15-2006, 01:41 PM	#8
KIISQueen Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,985	I seen this story on last night's news. Very sad may he R.I.P.

12-18-2006, 09:04 AM	#9
mechmike0034 aka the keg killer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ala-effin'-bama! Posts: 2,738	http://apnews.myway.com//article/200...D8M3APCO0.html The memorial should be quite the all-star performance...

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