Legendary music producer Gerald "Jerry" Wexler died at 91 in Florida on Friday, according to Atlantic Records. Apparently, he died at a hospice in Sarasota, Florida from congenital heart disease.

The man behind the term "Rhythm & Blues," Wexler had a major contribution in signing and/or producing many of the biggest acts of the last 50 years, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, and Bob Dylan.

Born in the Bronx, New York City, into a Jewish family, Jerry Wexler served in the United States Navy during World War II, and eventually went to work as an editor, reporter, and writer for Billboard Magazine. In this position, he coined the term "rhythm and blues." Jerry Wexler subsequently became a partner in Atlantic Records in 1953, joining Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün in building up Atlantic Records.

Jerry Wexler was responsible for turning Aretha Franklin's career around in the 1960s, as well as for guiding the careers of some of the most prominent artists, including Led Zeppelin. Atlantic Records issued a statement praising the contribution of the legendary music man to the company, where he worked as an executive until 1975 when he left his post as Vice Chairman.

Wexler has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and retired from the music business in the late 1990s.