Wexler, who passed away today in Siesta Key, Florida, was co-head of Atlantic from 1953 to 1975, a period in which the record company heavily influenced the shape and direction of popular music and was responsible for overseeing the careers of some of the greatest recording artists of all time.

It was at Billboard magazine where the New York City-born Wexler started his industry career, here famously coming up with the term rhythm and blues.

He joined Atlantic in 1953 at what was the start of a golden era for the record company and a year later he became co-head with co-founder Ahmet Ertegun. That early 1950s period included hits for the company by artists including Joe Turner, Ray Charles and The Drifters as Wexler, Ertegun and engineer Tom Dowd began producing the roster’s records.

In the 1960s he forged a link between Atlantic and Memphis label Stax Records, leading to hits from the likes of Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.

Under Wexler, Aretha Franklin, whose early career had failed to blossom at Columbia Records, finally realised her commercial potential and became a huge success with early hits including Respect and I Say A Little Prayer. He also oversaw the production of Dusty Springfield’s Dusty In Memphis album.

It was around this time, in 1967, that Atlantic was sold to Warner for $17.5m, but Ertegun and Wexler stayed with the company.

By the latter part of the Sixties Atlantic had stretched beyond its R&B roots into rock, forging a strong association with UK acts, including The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin.

Wexler left Atlantic in 1975 but joined Warner Records two years later, bringing in such acts as Dire Straits and the B-52’s. In the 1980s his productions included Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, while he also recorded with George Michael.