Ertegun brothers
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The Ertegun brothers, Ahmet Ertegun (born July 31,1923) and Nesuhi Ertegun (born November 26,1917– died April 15,1989), were executives of Atlantic Records. They also co-founded the New York Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, they moved to Washington, DC with their father M. Munir Ertegun, who was then the Turkish Ambassador to the United States.
Ahmet Ertegun, producer Tom Dowd, Herb Abramson and others created Atlantic Records in the late 1940s as an independent record company that became a jazz and pop empire in the 1960s.
Their first success came in rhythm and blues, with such artists as Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, The Clovers, The Drifters, and Ray Charles. Regarding Ray Charles, Ahmet Ertegun 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 Ertegun wrote a number of classic blues songs, including "Chains of Love" and "Sweet Sixteen" under the pseudonym "A. Nugetre" (Ertegun backwards), as well as Ray Charles' first hit "Mess Around".
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.
Many independent record executives, like the Erteguns, were from immigrant backgrounds, including the Bihari brothers and the Chess brothers.
The Ertegun's primary musical interest was Jazz. Nesuhi produced records for artists like John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman 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.
In 1987, Ahmet was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which he himself was the founder. Nesuhi Ertegun was inducted there posthumously four years later in 1991. 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.
In Ray, the biopic of Ray Charles, Ahmet Ertegun is portrayed by Curtis Armstrong. In Beyond the Sea, the biopic about Bobby Darin, Ahmet is played by Tayfun Bademsoy.
Ahmet Ertegun is still employed at Atlantic Records as Founding Chairman.