Herb Abramson (1916–1999) was an American record producer and record executive best known as a co-founder and the first president of Atlantic Records. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Abramson began his career while studying dentistry, working as a producer for National Records, where he recorded artists including Billy Eckstine, Big Joe Turner, and The Ravens.
In 1947, Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun founded Atlantic Records, initially focusing on jazz, blues, and rhythm & blues. After serving in the U.S. Army, Abramson returned to Atlantic in 1955 and established ATCO Records, an Atlantic subsidiary that he managed. ATCO became home to artists including The Coasters and Bobby Darin.
Abramson left Atlantic in 1958 and subsequently founded several independent labels, including Triumph, Blaze, and Festival. He also continued working as an independent producer, most notably producing Tommy Tucker’s 1964 R&B hit “Hi-Heel Sneakers.” Abramson died in 1999 at the age of 82.
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[…] in 1955 as a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, providing an outlet for Atlantic co-founder Herb Abramson and for artists whose music did not fit neatly into Atlantic’s growing focus on blues, jazz, […]
[…] 1947, Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun founded Atlantic Records, initially focusing on jazz, blues, and rhythm & […]
[…] as a young man and moved to the United States with his family in the 1930s. In 1947, Ertegun and Herb Abramson founded Atlantic Records in New York, initially concentrating on jazz, blues, and rhythm & […]