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 ERTEGUNPeople 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.
More Ahmet Ertegun Quotes
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You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.
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Everybody at Atlantic knew that we had a winner in this young lady, and she came through with great hits that will be remembered for many years to come.
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The main thing is that Ataturk saw the desperate condition of the countries that had not had an industrial revolution.
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The first time I heard Clyde McPhatter singing with the Dominoes at the Apollo I just fell off my chair
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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.
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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.
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Everyone felt like they knew Ray Charles and in a way they did, because he was embodied by his music.
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The all-time greatest Atlantic group – The Drifters
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A singer’s biographical film should have their music and their voice.
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I consider Laura to be one of my best signings, and I am proud to have had such a great singer in my career in the record business. We miss her dearly.
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There are still many great surviving talents: Stevie Winwood. Another great talent is Stevie Wonder.
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There’s been so much bad blood between the Kurds and the Turks.
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Another one is Eric Clapton. Another one is Phil Collins. Eminem, Kanye West I like all those people.
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The songwriters whom we think of being the greatest songwriters usually write one hit and six or seven flops.
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I should have gotten the Beatles. But one of my lawyers kind of messed up.
AHMET ERTEGUN