The Turkish-American businessperson Ahmet Ertegun started listening to popular music and jazz thanks to his mother, who was also a musician, and his brother. Ertegun’s life changed drastically when his family moved to Washington, D.C., after his father, Munir Ertegun, became the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United States. He had a chance to discover his love and passion for music during his time in the country.
Ertegun listened to Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong, and gospel, jazz, and R&B music drew his attention more and more. He also graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis in 1945. Shortly after meeting with Herb Abramson, a dental student who worked for National Records, they wanted to found their own label company, the starting point of his prolific career.
The Timeline Of Ahmet Ertegun’s Successful Career
Ertegun and Abramson founded Atlantic Records in 1947, which would shape countless bands’ musical journeys. The company worked with legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, and countless more. Ertegun became an important figure in rock music and other genres thanks to his connection to these artists.
Along with his accomplishments as a part of Atlantic Records by giving opportunities to the young musicians to release their works of art, Ertegun was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum chairman. However, it’s impossible to predict the connection between a band that he contributed significantly to its success and worldwide popularity and his unexpected passing.
The Cause Of Ahmet Ertegun’s Death
The Rolling Stones began their A Bigger Bang Tour on August 10, 2005, in Toronto, and it ended on August 26, 2007, in London to promote their 22nd British and 24th American studio album named ‘A Bigger Bang.’ Millions of fans worldwide attended the concerts, and the band members’ performances received positive reviews from music journalists.
Unfortunately, one of their live shows turned into a tragic event for the Atlantic Records co-founder. While watching the Rolling Stones concert on October 29, 2006, at the Beacon Theatre for the tour, Ertegun fell on a concrete floor and seriously injured himself. As a result, he was in a coma until his death on December 14, 2006, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. Tragically, Ertegun passed away during an event of a band that he helped for their rise to fame and glory.
