King, Howlin' Wolf, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. In St. Louis, Turner was exposed to a white audience who were excited by R&B. [31] Turner recorded Parker's first single, "You're My Angel" / "Bad Women, Bad Whiskey", credited to Little Junior Parker and the Blue Flames. "[259] Despite his ill health, he collaborated with Gorillaz on their album Demon Days and performed the track with them at the Manchester Opera House in November 2005. These sketches were collected in a 2008 comedy album Ike at the Mike. King. Some of the artist Turner backed on piano and guitar during this period include Elmore James, Johnny Ace and the Flairs. The singer was married to Ike Turner from 1962 until 1978. [118], After his breakup with Tina, singer Holly Maxwell sang with Turner on occasion from 1977 to 1985 and again for eight months in 1992. The single peaked at No. Blues Music Awards.mw-parser-output .awards-table td:last-child{text-align:center}, 19461950: Formation of the Kings of Rhythm, 19511954: Session musician and talent scout. The 79-year-old superstar . Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. His parents were Creole. [142] Although Turner does not appear on the album, Pitchfork noted his influence in the production. "[215] In a 1999, Roseanne Barr urged him to publicly apologize to Tina on The Roseanne Barr Show. 1960), with Lorraine Taylor. Houk's Piano Co. store in Memphis the year of its release in 1954. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:14, You Can't Miss Nothing That You Never Had, Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner, Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner, Ike & Tina Turner's Kings of Rhythm Dance, His Woman, Her Man: The Ike Turner Diaries Unreleased Funk/Rock 19701973, The Bad Man: Rare & Unreissued Ike Turner Produced Recordings 19621965, Jack Rabbit Blues: The Singles of 19581960, "Ike Turner, Musician and Songwriter in Duo With Tina Turner, Dies at 76", "Will They Still Like Ike? [76] He also helped Buddy Guy record his second record;[77] resulting in the single "You Sure Can't Do" / "This Is The End" which Turner played guitar and composed the latter. "[214] In his autobiography, he said: "Sure, I've slapped Tina. He said, "Ike wasn't more than sixteen then. During his stay, he went clubbing at Ned Love's in East St. Louis, Illinois. When Bullock became pregnant by Hill, they lived with Turner and his live-in girlfriend Lorraine Taylor. He played at Johnny's Lounge and the Club Imperial which was popular with white teenagers. He sent the results to the Biharis at Modern and they released it on their subsidiary label RPM Records. [50] Turner played piano on King's early records "You Know I Love You" and "3 O'Clock Blues", which became King's first two number-ones. His father lived for two or three years as an invalid in a tent in the family's yard before succumbing to his injuries when Turner was about five years old. [41], Phillips licensed the recording to Chess Records in Chicago. "[147], Turner's guitar style is distinguished by heavy use of the whammy bar to achieve a strong reverb-soaked vibrato, string bending, hammer-ons and triplets in his blues phrasing. [192] However, Turner asserted in his book that he is not the biological father. [207][208], Following a violent altercation in July 1976, Tina filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Turner, who was trained by ear and could not sight read, would learn the pieces by listening to a version on record at home, pretending to be reading the music during rehearsals. [146] Donald Fagen noted: "[T]alented as he was, there wasn't anything really supernatural about Ike's skills as a musician What Ike excelled at was leadership: conceptualization, organization, and execution. "Rocket 88" is one of the two records that can claim to be the first rock 'n' roll record, the other being "The Fat Man" by Fats Domino from 1949. [25] During breaks he would watch DJ John Friskillo play records at the radio station, WROX, located in the hotel. Hailed as a "great innovator" of rock and roll by contemporaries such as Little Richard and Johnny Otis,[7][8] Turner received critical acclaim as well. [48], The success of "Rocket 88" generated tension and ego clashes in the band which culminated with Brenston leaving to pursue a solo career, causing the band to fall apart. Soon they were booking bigger venues, and by 1969 they were headlining in Las Vegas. The success of the single was followed by a string of hits including "I Idolize You", "Poor Fool", and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" which gave them their second million-seller and their first Grammy nomination. In May 1989, Turner was arrested on drug charges in West Hollywood. Nigel Cawthorneco-author of Turner's autobiographysaid: Although there had been black rock 'n' rollers who had made it big already, they really only played to a white audience. [119] In 1979, Turner spent time in the studio with Chaka Khan following her separation from her manager-husband. In her mid-40s, Tina staged a pop music comeback with her 1984 Private Dancer album and a host of singles that included the title track, a remake of Al Greens Lets Stay Together, Better Be Good to Me, and Whats Love Got to Do With It. The Grammy-winning Whats Love Got to Do With It reached No. Ike Turner began playing piano as a child and by the late 1940s had played with a number of the leading blues musicians in the . How many wives did Ike Turner have? "[148], Reviewing Turner's 1973 album Bad Dreams, Robert Christgau wrote: "After twenty years of raking it in from the shadows, he's finally figured out a way of applying his basically comic bass/baritone to rock and roll. "[231], Turner had six children. [72] The bands would play all-nighters in St. Louis, then cross the river to the clubs of East St. Louis, and continue playing until dawn. [107] The album earned Turner his first solo Grammy nomination for Best R&B Instrumental Performance at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards. Only 100 specimens were made, retailing at $3,399.99. [31] Turner persuaded his mother to pay for piano lessons, but he did not take to the formal style of playing. [258] His daughter Mia Turner said, "He was too weak from the emphysema to do anything. He revealed he hasn't spoken to Tina Turner since 'probably the year 2000'. In . Having served time in prison for drug possession, Ike released his own autobiography, Takin Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner, in 1999. In My Love Story, Tina has talked about her deep affection for her long-term partner, Erwin Bach, whom she wed in 2013, and the contours of their relationship, contrasting what she has experienced and learned from her second marriage in contrast to her first. I was inconsiderate about her feelings. Spector, according to our spy in the . Ike Turner died in 2007 at 76. [73] A teetotaler at the time, he avoided drugs and insisted all band members also adopt this policy, firing anyone he even suspected of breaking the rules. The single, released on King Records, peaked at No. If the drummer had to pee, I would play drums until he returned.There were no breaks. The couple had also become intimately entangled, and with Tina having a child from a previous relationship with his bandmate Raymond Hill, the two would have a son of their own and reportedly married in 1962 in Tijuana, Mexico. [3] Turner received $45,000 for the film, but he had unknowingly signed papers waiving the right to sue Disney's Touchstone Pictures for his depiction. [144], In his career, Turner originally worked in the style of 1950s R&B, or post-jump blues. The track "Funky Mule", also from A Black Man's Soul, has been sampled extensively by jungle DJs, with the drum introduction being a very popular break. Instead, he spent the money in a pool hall and learned boogie-woogie from Perkins. Turner, without a band and disappointed his hit record had not created more opportunities for him, disbanded the Kings of Rhythm for a few years. [32] At some point in the 1940s, Turner moved into Clarksdale's Riverside Hotel. Ike Turner married four times and had four children: Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia. Produced by Rogers, the remake received favorable reviews. Turner's vocalist Johnny O'Neal had left to sign a solo contract with King Records, so Jackie Brenston, a saxophonist in the Kings of Rhythm, sang lead vocals while Turner was on piano. He was a great innovator. Turner tried to get Rosa out, but he never saw her again. "[150] Dave Rubin wrote in Premier Guitar magazine: "All those years of playing piano and arranging taught him a considerable amount about harmony, as he could certainly navigate I-IV-V chord changes. [38], Soon after the release of "Rocket 88", Turner moved to West Memphis, Arkansas and played with various local bands. Rasool was also in the house and administered CPR. [19] One day after Reese gave him a whipping, Turner knocked him out with a length of lumber and ran away to Memphis for a few days before returning home. [169][170], In 2004, Fender Custom Shop manufactured a limited edition Ike Turner Tribute Stratocaster. When Turner applied for his first passport in the 1960s, he discovered that his name was registered as Ike Wister Turner. His ex-wife Audrey Madison claimed Turner was bipolar and that she was helping him with his illness, a claim supported by Turner's personal assistant and caretaker, Falina Rasool. His oldest son Ike Turner, Jr . [159], Phil Alexander, editor-in-chief of Mojo magazine, referred to Turner as the "cornerstone of modern day rock 'n' roll" and credited his arrangements of blues standards as being an influence on 1960s British Invasion groups: "He proceeded to influence British rockers from the mid-1960s onwards. [165], Turner won Comeback Album of The Year for Here and Now at the W.C. [211] In the final divorce decree, Tina took responsibility for missed concert dates as well as an IRS lien. [27] One day Friskillo spotted Turner watching and put him to work; teaching him the ins and outs of the control room. But "Rocket 88" does have a couple of elements which "The Fat Man" did not. [110] Turner had two sixteen track studios built, a large one to rent out and a smaller one for his personal recordings. [70], In 1954, Turner visited his sister Lee Ethel Knight in St. Louis, Missouri. [53] They often purchased or claimed co-writer credit of songs written by artists on their labels using pseudonyms. He brought Emerson to record at Sun Records and backed him on guitar in 1954. After dating for some time, Tina and Ike traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to get married in 1962. [16], Turner was introduced to St. Louis native singer Jeanette Bazzell by his son Ike Turner Jr. in 1988. In 1968 she tried to escape by attempting suicide. Turner played guitar and assisted in production on Walker's 1997 album Great Guitars; Walker paid him $5,000 a night for six songs. [17][a][18], His mother remarried an artist named Philip Reese, who Turner described as a violent alcoholic. He had struggled for many years with drug addiction. Why Ike Turner's . July 3, 2018Raymond Craig Turner / Date of death. [173] The unveilings coincided with Clarksdale's 23rd Annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, which paid tribute to Turner. [121] In 1988, Turner attempted an ill-fated return to the stage with Marcy Thomas, Bonnie Johnson, and Jeanette Bazzell as his Ikettes. [114] Turner had plans to leave United Artists Records for a five-year $150,000 per year deal with Cream Records, which was to be signed on July 6. She got up to sing his version of B.B. [68] He began playing guitar in sessions in 1953, and by 1954 with the assistance of Joe Bihari he built a makeshift recording studio at a defunct Greyhound bus station in Clarksdale. The act scored their first R&B hit in 1960 with A Fool in Love, reaching No. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. "[34] Turner kept the name throughout his career, although it went through lineup changes over time. [64] Turner recalled, "Bonnie played piano. Ike Turner performing in Juan-Les-Pins, southern France, on the last day of the Jazz a Juan music festival. [31][132] The positive response to the tour encouraged Turner to reform the Kings of Rhythm. Her parents were poor sharecroppers, who split up and left Turner and her sister to be raised by their grandmother. [248] By the early 1970s, he was heavily addicted to the drug, buying it in large quantities and sharing it with friends. It had three custom single coil 1960s Strat pickups. [64] Edna did not want to stay in Clarksdale, so she left Turner and returned to Ruleville. [53] Artists Turner discovered for Modern and Sun include Bobby Bland, Howlin' Wolf, Rosco Gordon, Boyd Gilmore, Houston Boines, Charley Booker, and Little Milton. Blues historian Ted Drozdowski claimed that Turner's father died in an industrial accident. King. [64], Unbeknownst to Turner, during his time in West Memphis, he met Elvis Presley who was a truck driver. By then both of his parents were deceased, so he could not verify the origin of his name. [190] The couple married on September 19, 1950. [11][12] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Tina Turner in 1991. Ike Turner was the innovator, for rhythm and blues and for rock 'n' roll. His early influences included Amos Milburn and Louis Jordan, as well as country music artists such as Hank Williams Sr. and Merle Travis. He asked for one more tour with me, and I said, 'No, absolutely not.' The late Ike Turner stated quite often that he was married a whopping 13 times in his 76 years of life. 2 on their list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. [87] That year, they headlined at the Waldorf Astoria New York and signed a television deal with CBS-TV. Sex was power to me. Show. [91] The Turners received the Golden European Record Award, the first ever given, for selling more than one million records of "Nutbush City Limits" in Europe. [2] In the 1950s, Turner's group got regular airplay from live sessions on the radio stations WROX in Clarksdale and KFFA in Helena, Arkansas. Turner recalled, "there wasn't no intermission. [197] However, Turner and Bullock eventually began having an affair and she became pregnant in January 1960. Ike was always quite a character and was very candid about his struggles with addiction, sexual abuse as a child, and his abusive actions toward some women in his life. Turner and Bob Krasnow, founder of Blue Thumb, co-produced Earl Hooker's 1969 album Sweet Black Angel. [132] Turner's work on the tour led to the recording and release of his Grammy-nominated album Here & Now (2001). It peaked at No. [79] Turner released two singles on the Stevens label (No. . Turner married Lee in September 1952. [64] Bonnie was a member of the Kings of Rhythm as a pianist and vocalist. 1958: Makes first recording, under the name Little Ann. But I never beat her. [4] According to Joe Bihari, Turner had brought King to his attention years prior. [10], In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Ike & Tina Turner No. Ike Turner married four times and had four children: Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia. Tina, the new documentary will air on HBO and HBO Max at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 27 and on demand Sunday, March 28. Credit: Getty - Contributor. During this period, the couple formed a band known as 'Ike & Tina Turner' and belted out hits like 'Proud Mary', 'River Deep', etc. The husband-wife duo established themselves throughout the 1960s and 70s as chart-topping artists, with most of the public not realizing the abuse that existed in the couples private life. Turner later estimated that he had spent $11million on cocaine. [75] In 1958, Turner took the band to Chicago to record for Cobra/Artistic, as well as fulfilling his contract as a session musician back at Sun. My Godat the moment he's more interesting than Tina. [23] Reflecting on these experiences, he stated: "That's probably why every relationship I was in was surrounded by sex. [195] Sources often incorrectly refer to Taylor as one of Turner's wives, but she was his live-in girlfriend. Annie Mae left Turner for a policeman after they moved to East St. Louis, Illinois. Without Ike you wouldn't have had the Stones and Zeppelin. [235], Turner's second wife Velma Davis (ne Dishman) claimed that Turner was the father of her daughter, Linda Turner Bullock (b. ", Turner was praised by his contemporaries for his influence. [104][105] This exposure introduced them to a wider audience outside of R&B. Rasool said she talked to Turner about his bipolar disorder and witnessed its effects. [201] Turner stated that the reason they went to Tijuana was to see "sex shows and whores". [100], In January 1970, they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and released their rendition of "Come Together", which reached No. Reports on the December 12, 2007 began flowing in which announced that Tina Turner's ex-husband Ike Turner died at 76. Arriving in Dallas during the summer of 1976, Tina fled from Ike after a fight and managed to get to safety at a Ramada Inn with practically no money and in bloodied clothes. His first recording, "Rocket 88" (credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats), is considered a contender for the distinction of first rock and roll song. [16] They married at A Special Memory Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on October 8, 2006. [167] He was a recipient of the Legend Award at the 2007 Mojo Awards. Despite routine intimidation, Tina eventually divorced her husband, taking no other assets besides her performance name and two cars. She told Jet: "He's been real inspiration and a catalyst emotionally and in other ways as well. Less than a week after his death, his former wife Audrey Madison Turner filed a petition stating that he had penned a handwritten will naming her as a beneficiary. We just came and took it home. The album received positive critical reception, and was nominated for best Blues Album at the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. [230] She told The Afro: "I decided to write it because it was like a cleansing and it released all of the trauma. He found the experience terrifying and from then on preferred not to be the focus of attention, but rather to be in the background controlling the show. [8], Turner released two solo albums for United Artists Records, Blues Roots (1972) and Bad Dreams (1973). [16], In 2005, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with emphysema which required him to use an oxygen tank. Turner, who was a friend of Sly Stone, played guitar on Sly and the Family Stone's album There's A Riot Goin' On (1971). [203] He used a detective agency to locate Bell in Chicago and they divorced in 1974. [4][61], While in Helena, Turner tried to recruit Little Walter to record for Modern in January 1952, but Little Walter was on his way to Mississippi. [16] However, Turner's daughter, Mia Turner, disagreed with this diagnosis and felt he was being overmedicated. We had fights and there have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. "[40], In March 1951, Turner and his band recorded the song "Rocket 88" at Memphis Recording Service. It was sampled by producer Goldie for his 1994 hit "Inner City Life", in the same year by Krome & Time on "The License", and by Paradox in 2002 on track "Funky Mule". IKE'S WIFE, AUDREY, GIVES DETAILS ABOUT HIS ABUSE & WHY HE DID IT Audrey Turner did an interview with Afro and stated that her husband, Ike, used to beat her because he had bipolar disorder, which caused severe mood swings and his cocaine use only exaggerated the problem. [133] He is featured in the documentaries The Road to Memphis and Godfathers and Sons, as part of the series. [71] A local DJ suggested he send the record to Sue Records in New York, where label owner Juggy Murray insisted on releasing the track with Bullock's vocal. [3] In 1954, Turner relocated to East St. Louis where his Kings of Rhythm became one of the most renowned acts in Greater St. [115] On July 1, the Turners got into a violent altercation en route to their gig at the Dallas Statler Hilton. Tina met Ike when she was 18 and started visiting bars in the St. Louis area. After initially rising to fame for his role in recording the song "Rocket 88", Ike Turner truly became a superstar after he began performing with his wife at the time, Tina Turner.