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Co-founder of Atlantic records, Ahmet Ertegun was a pioneer in the modern music industry. Born in Istanbul, Ertegun immigrated to Washington, D.C., with his family at 12. He graduated from St. John’s College in 1944 and soon after while his family returned to Turkey, he and his brother remained in the United States.

Ertegun fell in love with music at the age of 9, when his older brother, Nesuhi, took him to see Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway in London. His fondness for music blossomed during his time at St. John’s, where he organized the first jazz concert in the college’s history. While living in D.C., Ertegun became acquaintances with black artists like Lena Horne and Jelly Roll Morton.

With a small loan from his family dentist, Ertegun co-founded Atlantic Records in 1947 in New York City. After a couple unsuccessful years, Atlantic Records began to expand in the 1950s with the company signing artists such as Ray Charles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, and Big Joe Turner. The innovative recording company became one of the first labels to set standards for producing high-quality recordings.

In a 2005 interview, Ertegun credited St. John’s for fostering a valuable education:

“One of the best decisions I ever made in my life was to apply to go to St. John’s College, rather than a conventional university. St. John’s, then and now, offers a true education in everything. It is meant for the student who wishes to be able to become a truly educated person-one who has been exposed to the various types of thought since the beginnings of the Western civilization, and therefore will begin to understand where one stands at this time in the history of the world…[And] It seems to have prepared me to help create rock and roll out of the African American legacy of gospel and blues music.”

Aside from music, Ertegun became a bridge between Turkey and the United States. As chairman for the American Turkish Society, he helped strengthen ties between the two countries. He also funded the Turkish departments at Georgetown and Princeton.

Ertegun passed away in 2006, followed by his wife Mica in 2023. Read more about Ertegun and his career on his Books by Johnnies page.