Atlantic producer, Grammy winner, 74, dies

NEW YORK, June 26 (UPI) -- Arif Mardin, the Turkish-born music producer whose 30-year career with Atlantic, won him 11 Grammy awards, died in New York of pancreatic cancer at 74.

Mardin began at Atlantic Records in 1963 as assistant to label executive Nesuhi Ertegun, brother of co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, also a Turk. Mardin soon became studio manager and the label's house producer and arranger, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

A jazz fanatic, Mardin produced a wide variety of music, including the Young Rascals, Bette Midler, Average White Band, Bee Gees, Willie Nelson, Manhattan, Judy Collins, Patti LaBelle, the Modern Jazz Quartet and others.

Mardin was born March 15, 1932, graduated from Istanbul University and studied at the London School of Economics. By chance, he met trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in 1956 in Istanbul who gave him some pointers.

Mardin became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated in 1961.

He won Grammy awards for album of the year, record of the year and producer of the year honors Nora Jones' debut "Come Away With Me" album in 2003.

Mardin is survived by wife Latife, son Joe and daughter Julie.