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I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.

Ahmet Ertegun

The songwriters whom we think of being the greatest songwriters usually write one hit and six or seven flops.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Flop Greatest Hit Seven Six Think Thinking Write Writing
At a time when it was very brave to do because Ataturk was cutting off the heads of the imams. And people thought that that was foolhardy of my father.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Brave Cutting Father Foolhardy Head People Time
My first wife was a theater person.
AHMET ERTEGUN

First Person Theater Wife
I used to drink a bottle of vodka a day, every day, for about 40 years and it never occurred to me it’d kill me.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Bottle Doctor Drink Occur Used Wine Year
If I’d have continued it might have killed me. My doctor said I should stick to wine.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Continue Doctor Killed Stick Wine
There are still many great surviving talents: Stevie Winwood. Another great talent is Stevie Wonder.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Another Eric Great People Survive Surviving Talent West
Ataturk saw where history was going. He really did in Turkey what we are all hoping somebody will do in [Islamic] countries where fundamentalists thrive, that they get somebody today that has the vision that Ataturk had in 1915.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Country Defeat Everybody Fundamental History Hoping Right Somebody
My father believed very strongly in Ataturk. Ataturk was a very powerful man and a man of great vision.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Believe Father Great Man Powerful Strong Vision
You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Hit Magic Multimillion Seller Suddenly Working
The first time I heard Clyde McPhatter singing with the Dominoes at the Apollo I just fell off my chair
AHMET ERTEGUN

Car First Hear Singing
I’ve been in the studio when you go through a track and you run down a track and you know even before the singer starts singing, you know the track is swinging.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Magic Running Singer Start Studio Track
I came close to signing Elvis Presley. I offered $25,000 for his contract and they asked for $45,000 and I just didn’t have the other $20,000.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Celebrity Close Contract Kind Lawyer Offered Singing
I first heard Laura Branigan sing live in my brother Nesuhi’s apartment, where we had gone because he had a very good piano. I immediately realized that she had a great pop voice, in the classical sense.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Apartment Brother Career Gone Good Heard Very Voice
Laura had an instinctive feel for music and melody, and her delivery was sensational.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Delivery Feel Melody Music People Sensational
My father was a very religious person. And he prayed five times a day. And he did that throughout his relationship with Ataturk.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Cutting Day Father Prayed Relationship Religious Throughout Time
People like Clyde McPhatter who came out of the black churches – like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin – were all church singers who became great pop singers because gospel singing is very close to the blues.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Black Blue Church Like Out People Singing

I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.

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I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.

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