Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who helped shape R&B music with influential recordings of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other greats and who later made key recordings with the likes of Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, died Friday at age 91 in Sarasota, Fla. Wexler earned his reputation as a music industry giant while a partner at Atlantic Records with another legendary music figure, the late Ahmet Ertegun. Atlantic provided an outlet for the groundbreaking work of black performers in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, it was a home to such rock icons as Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. He also helped Dylan win his first Grammy by producing his 1979 "Slow Train Coming" album. Wexler helped boost the careers of both the "King of Soul," Charles, and the "Queen of Soul," Franklin. Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke and Percy Sledge were among the other R&B greats who benefited from Wexler's deft recording touch.
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