Rhythm and blues pioneer Jerry Wexler dead at 91

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pioneering music executive Jerry Wexler, who helped build Atlantic Records into a rhythm and blues powerhouse in the 1950s and 1960s with artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, died in Florida on Friday at age 91, Atlantic Records said.

Along with the late Ahmet Ertegun, co-head of Atlantic, Wexler revolutionized R&B music as the consummate businessman behind an independent label that had few rivals in its day, spearheading Atlantic's move into "Southern soul" music.

In addition to Charles and Franklin, Wexler helped develop such acts as Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett and Roberta Flack, often finding talent in places like Memphis, Tennessee, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Miami.

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[DudeAsInCool]

He as one of the giants before the suits took over.