Ahmet Ertegun Quote and Website

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 6 Feb 2007 1:56 pm

We lost him recently. For me one of the most facinating figures in the music business. I love this quote, and there is a link to a nice website on him.

“In the dialogues of Plato, a main thesis was that a human being’s greatest goal is happiness…If you do have a love, try to pursue that. Because then, work is no longer work. But it is what you enjoy doing the most. Your goal does not have to be grand or grandiose. But it has to be something you dedicate yourself to. There is true happiness in achievement in any field that you undertake. And you look forward to your work. And no hours are too long. And no problem too complicated. And there is nothing you would rather do. That is ideal. It is not always possible. But it is what you should strive for.”

“It is a great life, the life of music and life in the music business.”

Ahmet Ertegun
(1923-2006)

http://www.atlanticrecords/ahmet

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 Feb 2007 2:31 pm

“It is a great life, the life of music and life in the music business.”

I think that was an abbreviated form of the full quote which went something like this:

It is a great life, the life of music and life in the music business, if you are at the top of the heap, like me, and own your own fabulously successful record company. As for the minions groveling in the trenches for tips on a Saturday night, trying to eke out a living, well, there are always dayjobs at McDonalds for such people."

OK, so I made that up. So what? He coulda said it, and probably shoulda said it. Call me cynical.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 6 Feb 2007 6:50 pm

Hey cynical!

You have every right to be...

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 6 Feb 2007 7:54 pm

"There is nothing more tragic than the murder of a beautiful idea, by a gang of brutal facts" Benjamin Franklin

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 7 Feb 2007 8:16 am

Ahmet was an amazing figure in music. There is a great article about him in the last issue of Rolling Stone. I liked his statement about how he disliked his "character" in the Ray Charles movie. He, Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd really changed the way we hear music. I love all three of them.
Chuck

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 7 Feb 2007 8:19 am

Ahmet was an amazing figure in music. There is a great article about him in the last issue of Rolling Stone. I liked his statement about how he disliked his "character" in the Ray Charles movie. He, Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd really changed the way we hear music. I love all three of them.
Chuck

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 7 Feb 2007 10:53 am

Hey! have you guys seen that Tom Dowd documentary DVD?Jim I've got a McDonalds ball cap,it's yours if you want it,send me an address...Stu

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 7 Feb 2007 10:55 am

Thanks for offering Stu, but I think I'll pass. Such a guy...

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 7 Feb 2007 4:47 pm

The Tom Dowd doc is one of the coolest things I have seen--very well done, and thank God they did it before he died...

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 8 Feb 2007 9:03 pm

. . and not only did Tom (Dowd) have fascinating storys to tell, but he sure knew how to tell them . . . !

~Russ

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 9 Feb 2007 11:08 pm

As for the minions groveling in the trenches for tips on a Saturday night, trying to eke out a living, well, there are always dayjobs at McDonalds for such people."

Hah! I knew this sounded familiar! A recent SNL spoof had "Dick Cheney" addressing only those Americans earning more than $165,000 per year, telling others to "change the channel and find some NASCAR out there somewhere."