Ertegun brothers

The Ertegun brothers, Ahmet Ertegun (born 1923) and Nesuhi Ertegun (1917–1989) were co-founders of Atlantic Records.

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, together with his brother Nesuhi, producer Tom Dowd, Jerry Wexler 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).

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.

They were also co-founders and ex-directors of the New York Cosmos soccer team.

In 1987, Ahmet was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Nesuhi Ertegun was inducted there four years later in 1991. Ahmet was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 1993; Nasuhi was awarded the same two years later in 1995.

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.

See also: Turkish music