Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç offered condolences to the family of renowned music producer Arif Mardin on Tuesday, saying his contributions to Turkish culture and art would endure. "We will always commemorate him with great respect," Koç said.
Mardin, a multiple Grammy Award winner, died in New York at age 74 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born in Türkiye, Mardin moved to the United States in 1958 after being encouraged by Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones to pursue a career in music. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating in 1961.
He joined Atlantic Records in 1963, rising through the ranks to become a producer, arranger, and eventually senior vice president. Over his career he collaborated with artists including Aretha Franklin, the Bee Gees, Norah Jones, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, and Chaka Khan. He received Grammy Awards for producer of the year in both 1975 and 2002.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.