LOS ANGELES (Recording Academy) - On Feb. 13, founding chairman of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun will be honored by The Recording Academy at its inaugural Salute To
Industry Icons event. This exclusive reception — held in conjunction with the 2005 GRAMMY Celebration Party — will feature a presentation of the first President's Merit Award Salute to
Industry Icons to Ertegun in honor of his contribution to the landscape of modern music. The invitation-only event will be attended by prominent members of the music community.
"Ahmet Ertegun is a true visionary whose life's work has had a profound impact on the musical landscape of our culture and around the world," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy. "We are proud to pay homage to this extraordinary man and celebrate his incredible accomplishments as one of the most respected executives of the entertainment field in our first-ever Salute To Industry Icons event."
Ahmet Ertegun, who co-founded Atlantic 58 years ago, has seen the company grow from a one-room operation into an international organization of tremendous influence. Melding business savvy with creative passion, Ertegun has served not only as an executive signing acts, but as a producer and a songwriter as well.
Over the past five decades, the music industry has experienced many dramatic changes and under Ertegun's direction, Atlantic has not only kept pace with those developments, it has often led the way. In its distinguished history, Atlantic Records has presented a diversity of artists in a wide scope of musical genres, including musical legends Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, and Led Zeppelin, along with contemporary stars including Jewel, Phil Collins, Kid Rock, Sean Paul, Lil' Kim, and matchbox twenty.
Ertegun is the founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and in recognition of his contributions to popular music, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1991 Ertegun received an honorary doctorate in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and in 1993 he was presented with a Trustees Award from The Recording Academy. In April of 2000, the United States Library of Congress honored Ertegun as a "Living Legend."
The 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on Feb. 13 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
