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You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.

Ahmet Ertegun

Another one is Eric Clapton. Another one is Phil Collins. Eminem, Kanye West I like all those people.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Another Celebrity Like One People
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
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
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
The all-time greatest Atlantic group – The Drifters
AHMET ERTEGUN

All Atlantic Group Time
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
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.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Atlantic Come Everybody Great Hit Lady Remembered Winner Year Young
It is a great life, this life of music.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Great Life Music
My first wife was a theater person.
AHMET ERTEGUN

First Person Theater Wife
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
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 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
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
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

You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.

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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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Popular Authors

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