Over at Slate, there’s a nice interview with the legendary Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records, who discovered and produced many of the best-known pop acts in music history, including such luminaries as:
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.
Though pop music has been the chief focus of his life, Mr. Ertegun has an abiding interest in Turkish politics—not surprising given the fact his father was a prominent Turkish diplomat, and a contemporary of Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey.
It’s a good interview. Mr. Ertegun gives his take on many different issues. Go check it out.
Article comments
1 - Matt Egan
this is a dead link.
2 - HW Saxton
That was a good interview.Mr Ertegun has
had a hand in the development of Rock N
Roll,Soul and Hard Rock.From swing jazz
to Zeppelin he was there.
A very fascinating gentleman to be sure.
Anyone interested in the history of
modern popular music should pick up his
book and read it in tandem with the auto
bio of Ertegun's partner Jerry Wexler
"The Rhythm & The Blues". Sadly it's out
of print but easy to find online.
3 - Lono
He is a huge luminary in the business, like Clive Owens and Quincy Jones. We owe them so much more than we realize.
4 - Eric Olsen
fixed the link, looks like it couldn't read the smart quotes
Lono, do you mean Clive Davis?
5 - Michael
Ahmet Ertegun is a genius......
MPM
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