Summary

Ahmet Ertegun (b. 1923–d. 2006) was among the most influential music producers and recording industry moguls of the 20th century. Born in Istanbul, he spent his childhood and youth with parents who served in the Turkish diplomatic service. As his father moved from one post to another, Ahmet attended school throughout Europe before settling in the United States. Deeply attracted to and influenced by American popular music, he became an avid collector of jazz and blues recordings and a frequent attendee of jazz concerts. Sympathy for the emerging civil rights movement was an additional factor in Ertegun’s support of African American musicians.

In his mid-20s, determined to found his own record company but without much experience in financial matters, Ertegun and a partner launched a record company that would bridge the cultural gaps between white and black audiences. Atlantic Records, under the guidance of Ahmet Ertegun, his brother Nesuhi, and their partner Jerry Wexler, would shape the musical taste of a worldwide audience. Among the artists they recorded and promoted were Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.

With the fortune he accumulated through the sale of Atlantic Records to Warner Brothers in the early 1970s, Ahmet Ertegun and his brother Nesuhi founded the New York Cosmos soccer team. Ertegun was also among the primary founders of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which opened in Cleveland in 1995.