A music mogul who nurtured the careers of many stars The founder of Atlantic Records, the music magnate, Ahmet Ertegun, shaped the careers of many well-known music stars, including Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and the Rolling Stones. An astute judge of both musical talent and business potential, Ahmet, in the 1950s, found the performers who went to make hits for Atlantic Records, which grew from a small label into a major American music company, a stronghold of soul and rock music, and one of the most successful American independent music labels. Born in Istanbul, Ahmet Ertegun was the dapper son of a Turkish diplomatic family, who grew up in Washington DC. He fell in love with the beauty of the jazz, the power of the beat and the elegance of the musicians made a lasting impression on him when he was only 9 year old. Having taken graduate courses in medieval philosophy at Georgetown University Ahmet created a mass market of modern music, through Atlantic Records, a powerhouse pf rhythm and blues, jazz, soul and rock. In 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum announced that its main exhibition hall would be named after him. Ahmet Ertegun's death was the result of a brain injury suffered when he fell backstage in a Theatre in Manhattan, New York City.