Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
Ahmet Ertegun – Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun was the founder of Atlantic Records. The son of a Turkish diplomat, his musical tastes ranged from Jazz to Soul, from Ray Charles to Led Zeppelin.
He is reported to have co-founded Atlantic Records with the help of a loan he secured from his dentist. He sold the company in 1967 for 20 million dollars. There is no doubt that his enthusiasm for black music helped to start both rock and roll and soul.
According to Dorothy Carvello who went to work at Atlantic Records, life in the office was an attempt to live up to the motto ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock N’ Roll’. Her book, ‘Anything For A Hit’ paints a picture of the music business that has much in common with the film industry and the notorious atmosphere that led to the #MeToo movement in the U.S. Ahmet Ertegun is not portrayed in a flattering light in the book and Carvello is suing two of the former company executives and Ahmet Ertegun’s estate.
He was injured at the aged of 81 when he fell at a Rolling Stones concert in New York. He died on December 14th, 2006.