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Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Tribute to Ahmet Ertegun: A Journey Thru The Past, Present & Future

ertegun-ahmet
Ahmet Ertegun - Founder of Atlantic Records


Ahmet Ertegun -- Founder of Atlantic Records -- passed away in 2006. 

Ertegun was more than just a giant in the record business. 

Ahmet Ertegun had a very long list of accomplishments, among which includes his instrumental role in forming Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Ertegun signed to the Atlantic label some of the best music for over 60 years. Ray Charles. Ruth Brown. Aretha Franklin. The Coasters. Otis Redding. Wilson Pickett. Buffalo Springfield. Crosby, Stills and Nash. Neil Young. Coltrane. Cream. Yes. Zeppelin. The Rascals. The Bee Gee’s. Bette Midler. Blind Faith. 

 
 Ahmet Ertegun & Neil Young - 1974
 

From Neil Young's tribute to Ahmet Ertegun:

When Stephen asked me to join Crosby, Stills and Nash, I didn't know it was Ahmet who was behind it. 

One of the things he liked about the Springfield was Stephen and me -- what happened when we played guitars together. Even though we fought like brothers, we played like brothers, and Ahmet saw that we could keep on going. 

To Ahmet, that was a no-brainer.

For our long time followers of Thrasher's Wheat, you'll recall our partnership with WBKM.org and DJ Host Tony Gallucci in Burlington, VT. We hosted a regular radio program for awhile and made a truly epic trip together to Europe for the Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse Europe 2013 Alchemy Tour 

Each Sunday night for many, many years, Tony has hosted Ahmet's House on WBKM.org which showcases the great music brought to light by this musical visionary. It is a labor of love, as Ahmet's dedication and passion has inspired WBKM to treat the music, the legacy and the man's memory right.  

Tony Gallucci founded Ahmet's House in order to honor the legacy of Ahmet Ertegun and the music he made possible.

Last year, after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, Thrasher's Wheat and WBKM.org partnered up on Operation BlanketAid.  Operation BlanketAid obtained a quantity of blankets which we delivered to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC. From there, the blankets -- along with many tons of donated aid -- were airlifted to the earthquake rescue zone in Turkey.

 
Operation BlanketAid for 2023 Turkey Earthquake

 
Donations Arrive @ Turkish Embassy, Washington, DC. - Feb. 11, 2023

Now we bring you the news that Tony has finally made his pilgrimage to Istanbul, Turkey to pay his respects to the man -- Ahmet Ertegun.

Tony Gallucci, Founder of Ahmet's House @ Ahmet Ertegun's grave
Istanbul, Turkey -  January 2024


To learn more about Tony's journey and the Ahmet's House mission, visit @ https://www.ahmetshouse.org/

Why?  Well, as we used to say when we signed off each week on the Thrasher's Wheat Radio Hour, "Cause I Feel Like I Owe It...to Someone!" 


7 comments:

  1. Thank you so much Thrasher for sharing this news. Yes, to go back where it all began is always an experience worth having. It’s an education of the highest sorts. Yup, the spirit of Croz was certainly with me, a year after his “days that used to be.” Peace!

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  2. Yes, Tony@wbkm! SO glad you've completed the pilgrimage to pay your respects.

    Croz would've been pleased certainly.

    Always liked that Neil quote @ RnRHoF: "Whenever Ahmet was in the room, you got good."

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    1. Respect. Always a “four way street”. Thanks Thrasher!

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  3. Great post. My wife is Turkish and raised several hundred k$ for relief - it was devastating for everyone in the country. With my close association with Turkey, I like to educate people on the country and our cultural ties, and rock music is a big one with Ahmet Ertegun, Zildjian symbols (the oldest continuously operating company in the US including from before moving from Istanbul), and the amazing tale of Turkish-American Deniz Tek from Ann Arbor, who was buddies with the MC5, The Stooges, playing in bands like MC5 Fred Sonic Smith's "Sonic's Rendezvous Band" *while in medical school*, and started Radio Birdman *in Austraila*, and then became a US Navy fighter squadron flight surgeon pilot with the call sign *Iceman* - yep, you guessed it. He was interviewed by movie producers who had just started making the original Top Gun film!! Crazy! Deniz Tek's story is easily found on YouTube

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  4. Wow Sean that’s a great thing to share! I’d be honest a few and your wife checked out our website. www.ahmetshouse.org
    Cause I feel like I owe it, to someone…

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  5. I certainly will ace I will share it with the wider Turkish and Turkish-American communities!

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    1. Thank you, Sean and sorry for the typo there the phone just wants to auto correct everything nowadays!

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