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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.

Ahmet Ertegun

The Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame will provide a center where the lives and the artistry of the greatest jazz musicians will be celebrated, and where people will come to learn about jazz, something to which my brother devoted his lifes work.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Brother Center Fame Greatest Musician People Provide
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
Whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write – no matter how bad they are – get recorded.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Big Matter Next Recorded Song Write Writing
Everyone felt like they knew Ray Charles and in a way they did, because he was embodied by his music.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Everyone Felt Ray Way
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
I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Country Dignity Greatness Little Music Recognition
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
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
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
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
The main thing is that Ataturk saw the desperate condition of the countries that had not had an industrial revolution.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Condition Country Industrial Islamic Man Revolution Thing
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
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
I should have gotten the Beatles. But one of my lawyers kind of messed up.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Celebrity Gotten Kind Lawyer Mess Other
Laura had an instinctive feel for music and melody, and her delivery was sensational.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Delivery Feel Melody Music People Sensational
There’s been so much bad blood between the Kurds and the Turks.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Blood Live

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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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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