Almost as if he planned it, Ahmet Ertegun shares the spotlight with no one this morning as the legendary music pioneer and founder of Atlantic Records passed away last night at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. Ahmet fell, suffering a head injury at a Rolling Stones concert October 29th at the Beacon Theatre and slipped into a coma that he would never recover from. Ahmet was 83...
Ahmet founded Atlantic Records with partner Herb Abramson and a $10,000 loan in 1947, making Atlantic the number one R&B label in the world behind artists like Ruth Brown, Ray Charles and Big Joe Turner but as Atlantic super-producer Jerry Wexler comments: "If Atlantic had restricted itself to R&B music, I have no doubt that it would be extinct today". Along came Bobby Darin, Sonny and Cher, Bette Midler, Led Zeppelin, Roberta Flack and ABBA to the roster of Atlantic. And just like the R&B artists mentioned earlier, this is just a partial list of pop and rock artists signed by Atlantic...
When I was a teenager, dreaming of one day replacing Alan Freed, there were two well known R&B labels in the northeast that monopolized radio airplay: Atlantic Records and a distant second: Savoy. With all due respect to Chess/Checker based in Chicago and labels in other parts of the country
that were quite successful, none of them would gain Atlantic's stature. This would hold true until Motown came along but by then Atlantic was also king of pop music. All of this, thanks to one man: Ahmet Ertegun...
Ahmet will be buried in his native Turkey and a memorial service will be conducted in New York after New Year's. We'll leave you with video of the one artist that personifies what Ahmet was all about: Ray Charles, one of Ertegun's 1st signings (taped live in 1991 with Japanese subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmAjsuoA2o
Timeline Memories for Friday, December 15th...
- [1791] The Bill of Rights, the 1st 10 amendments to the U.S. constitution, takes effect following ratification by Virginia (the state)...
- [1925] The 3rd Madison Square Garden opens at 8th Avenue & 50th Street in Manhattan as Montreal defeats the Rangers 3-1 (the old Garden lasted until 1968 when it was razed and replaced by the current one at 7th Avenue & 33rd Street)...
- [1982] Bill Parcells becomes the Giants 12th head coach and press conferences will never be the same...
- [2003] The late Senator Strom Thurmond's family acknowledges Essie Mae Washington-Williams' claim that she was Thurmond's illegitimate mixed-race daughter...
"Happy Trails": 1890] Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members are killed by the Indian police in Grand River (SD). Sitting Bull was 59...1944] Bandleader Glenn Miller, 40, disappears over the English Channel in a thick fog in a U.S. Army plane...1966] Walt Disney dies of cardiac arrest at 65 (contrary to popular belief, Disney is not a frozen Popsicle. He was not frozen at all)...2001] Legendary R&B singer and disc jockey Rufus Thomas dies of a heart attack at 84...
Premiered on this date: 1939] "Gone With The Wind", starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh has its world premiere at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta...
"Guilty as charged": 1961] Former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death by an Israeli court. Eichmann is hanged in 1962...1988] James Brown is sentenced to a 6-year jail term for leading police on a late-night chase (he's released on Feb. 27, 1991)...
Recorded on this date: 1959] The Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me" in New York City (their 1st record session outside Nashville)...
#1 on this date: 1962] "The First Family" LP - Vaughn Meader (this parody of the Kennedy's stays #1 for 12 weeks)...
The Final Curtain: 1969] John Lennon gives his last performance in England at a UNICEF benefit in London...1982] Paul "Bear" Bryant announces his retirement at the University of Alabama (he was winingest college football coach in history at the time). The Bear would suffer a fatal heart attack at 69 one month later...1993] John Williams conducts the Boston Pops for the final time...
Wedding Bells: 1985] Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nelson shadow box down the aisle (this marriage ends in a KO in the 18th month)...1990] Rod Stewart asks Rachel Hunter do ya think I'm sexy? Apparently she does and marries him. Not believing in quickie divorces, the couple's divorce just became official in November (of 2006)...2004] Sprint and Nextel tie the $35 billion knot...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Thanks to Joe McCoy for alerting me to this: "Max Kinkel is recovering from a bad car accident in October. If you get a chance, give him a call (973-831-4685) and say hello. I'm sure he would really appreciate hearing from you all and it would be a nice thing to do during this holiday season". This was sent to all ex-CBS-FM employees but if you know Max, you're welcome to call him. Keep it short because he's heavily sedated. And in the spirit of the holidays: Happy Chanukah to all that celebrate the Jewish holiday...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Rodney Harrison (Patriots) (34), Don Johnson (57), Dave Clark (64), Cindy Birdsong (67) and Tim Conway (73)...
Saturday, December 16, 2006...
Timeline Memories...
- [1773] The Boston Tea Party takes place as American colonists board a British ship and dump more than 300 chests of tea in Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes (perhaps that explains why the water in Boston Harbor is described as "orange pekoe with specks of green tea and chamomile" in color)...
- [1960] A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, killing 134...
- [1972] The Miami Dolphins become the 1st NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season (the total tally, including their Super Bowl win will be 17)...
- [1973] Buffalo's O.J. Simpson knifes his way through the NFL (sorry, I couldn't resist) to become the 1st runner in history to gain over 2,000 yards in a season when he runs for 200 yards against the Jets. Jet coach Weeb Ewbank loses his lunch and then announces his retirement...
- [1985] Organized crime chief Paul Castellano is gunned down outside Sparks Steakhouse on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan as he's set up by the mob...
- [2000] President-elect George W. Bush selects Colin Powell to be the 1st African-American secretary of state...
"Happy Trails": 1997] Singer Nicolette Larson dies from brain swelling at 45...
Reborn: 1982] Tom Seaver becomes a Met again after a trade with Cincinnati...1983] Yogi Berra is named Yankee manager for the 2nd time...
Published on this date: 1905] Variety Magazine (to which I will add: Boffo!)...
#1 on this date: 1964] "Come See About Me" - Supremes (who become the 1st group to top the charts with 3 consecutive singles and there are 2 more to come)...1986] "Walk Like An Egyptian" - Bangles...1987] "Faith" - George Michael...
Released on this date: 1966] "Hey Joe" - Jimi Hendrix...1967] "Green Tambourine" - Lemon Pipers...1971] "American Pie" - Don McLean...1972] "Hi, Hi, Hi" - Paul McCartney...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Benjamin Bratt (43), Benny (ABBA) Andersson (60), Steven Bochco (63), Lesley Stahl (65) and Liv Ullmann (67)...
Sunday, December 17, 2006...
Timeline Memories...
- [1903] Orville and Wilbur Wright make the 1st successful flight in history at 10:35am at Kitty Hawk (NC). The biplane stays airborne for 12 seconds and covers 120 feet on its inaugural flight...
- [1964] Just 6 weeks after CBS buys controlling interest in the Yankees, the "Voice of The Yankees", Mel Allen is fired (he was play-by-play man since 1940. What were they thinking???)...
- [1965] Judy Garland and the Supremes (hopefully not together) perform at the opening of the Houston Astrodome...
- [1969] TV history is made when Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (Budinger) are married on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" (an estimated 50 million viewers reach for the Kleenex)...
- [1969] The U.S. Air Force closes its Project "Blue Book" by concluding there's no evidence of UFOs (as a mysterious flying disc hovers overhead)...
- [1976] WTCG-TV in Atlanta becomes WTBS, uplinking with a satellite to become the 1st TV Super Station covering the United States...
Recorded on this date: 1955] Carl Perkins wakes up in the middle of the night, writes the lyrics to a song on a brown paper bag and less than 48 hours later, out comes: "Blue Suede Shoes" (true story)...
Premiered on this date: 1959] "On The Beach" which shows life after a nuclear holocaust, premieres in New York City and becomes the 1st movie to debut simultaneously in major cities around the world (18 cities in all, including Moscow)...
"Guilty as charged": 1975] Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford...
Wedding Bells: 1994] Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear rock down the aisle (to Bon Jovi music, of course). Heather filed for divorce in February of 2006..
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Barry Livingston ("Ernie" of "My Three Sons")(53), Eugene Levy (60), Ernie Hudson (61), Bob Guccione (76) and William Safire (77)...
Timeline Countdown: Happy Chanukah, 8 days until Christmas, 14 days until 2007, 20 days until the NFL playoffs, 22 days until the BCS championship game and 49 days until Super Bowl XLI...
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