[3] In 1954, Turner relocated to East St. Louis where his Kings of Rhythm became one of the most renowned acts in Greater St. 5 on the R&B chart. It was a job staying ahead of this chick, man, cos' she was always trying to outdo me. He considered himself an organizer rather than a performer. Tina would later pen a bouncing, up-tempo ode to her roots, 1973s Nutbush City Limits, that hit both the pop and R&B charts and became a long-time favorite. "[34] Turner kept the name throughout his career, although it went through lineup changes over time. When Ike and Tina Turner got together, it was volatile. He released two award-winning albums, Here and Now and Risin' with the Blues. [193], After Alice, Turner became involved with Annie Mae Wilson from Greenville, Mississippi. [260][261], In the weeks leading up to his death, Turner became reclusive. Turner's cocaine addiction and legal troubles, together with accounts by Tina Turner of domestic violence (published in her 1986 autobiography I, Tina and the 1993 film adaptation What's Love Got to Do with It), impacted his career in the 1980s and 1990s. [95] He produced singles by the Ikettes, Jimmy Thomas, Fontella Bass, George Jackson, and other artists on his labels. The wailing saxophone and that distorted electric guitar. The song reached No. [206] Tina signed her legal name as Martha Nell Turner on multiple contracts. But I never beat her. Speaking on his early marriages, he said: "You gave a preacher $2, the papers cost $3, that was it. Turner gained experience performing by supporting Nighthawk at gigs around Clarksdale. Louis. [179] In 2006, Vibe magazine ranked the character of Ike Turner from What's Love Got to Do with It at No. [6] After his release in 1991, he remained drug-free until he relapsed in 2004, dying of a drug overdose in 2007. [148] Turner was an early adopter of the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, buying one from O.K. Also, I wanted the general public to have a better outlook and perspective on where Ike was mentally and emotionally, because so often, as a nation, we turn on people who have mental health issues and define them by their behaviors rather than their condition. [264] His daughter Mia was said to be surprised at the coroner's assessment, believing his advanced stage emphysema was a larger factor. [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. [31] Turner recorded Parker's first single, "You're My Angel" / "Bad Women, Bad Whiskey", credited to Little Junior Parker and the Blue Flames. During this period, the couple formed a band known as 'Ike & Tina Turner' and belted out hits like 'Proud Mary', 'River Deep', etc. Rock 'n' roll came from rhythm and blues: rock 'n' roll ain't nothing but rhythm and blues up-tempo. He fitted them out with state-of-the-art equipment. Izear Luster Turner Jr. was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on November 5, 1931[15][16] to Beatrice Cushenberry, a seamstress, and Izear Luster Turner, a Baptist minister. [173] The unveilings coincided with Clarksdale's 23rd Annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, which paid tribute to Turner. However, James did eventually sign with Modern, and Turner played on his recordings that were released on Modern's subsidiary label Flair Records. 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. At the first trial, the jury failed to reach a verdict, and at the retrial a year later he was found not guilty. 1949),[192] but Turner denied that assertion in his autobiography (in which Velma is mistakenly referred to as Thelma): "I met Thelma Dishman, who, at that time, I thought was a pretty girl. "It was my relationship with Ike that made me most unhappy. [184], In 2015, TV One's Unsung offered some redemption with "The Story of Ike Turner", which documented his career along with his trials and tribulations. [221] According to Turner, Tina suggested Ann fill in as an Ikette because although she could not sing, she was attractive. During the last decade of Turner's life, he revived his career as a frontman by returning to his blues roots. I did ask him about it. He was convicted of, 2015: Inducted into St. Louis Classic Rock Hall of Fame, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:14. [192] However, Turner asserted in his book that he is not the biological father. 27 on the Hot 100. [238] He toured with former Ikette Randi Love as Sweet Randi Love and The Love Thang Band. [169][170], In 2004, Fender Custom Shop manufactured a limited edition Ike Turner Tribute Stratocaster. Ike Turner died of an accidental cocaine overdose. [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. Though there was a certain amount of success that the act had, music observers and Tina herself lamented that the band wasnt able to reach even bigger milestones due to Ikes self-sabotaging and violent behavior, with Tina often the focal point. He won a Grammy before he died. [59][60] Turner and Howlin' Wolf then recorded a version of "Moanin' at Midnight" at radio station KWEM in West Memphis without Phillips' or the Chess brothers' knowledge. [5][262] He was found dead by his former wife Ann Thomas. 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], In 2005, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with emphysema which required him to use an oxygen tank. [84] One night during an intermission, Bullock got hold of the microphone from Washington and sang "You Know I Love You" by B.B. "Tina Turner was a raw talent who's singing style fit naturally into Ike's patented rough take on rhythm and blues, a style that befit his demons. Legendary singer Tina Turner has said she doesn't think she could ever forgive her former husband Ike, after detailing the abuse she suffered during their marriage. [244], In 1974, Turner was arrested for using illegal blue boxes at Bolic Sound studio to make long-distance phone calls. [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. [164] He was honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 2001. King. When Turner applied for his first passport in the 1960s, he discovered that his name was registered as Ike Wister Turner. [64], After Bonnie, Turner married a woman named Alice in Helena, Arkansas. They earned a Grammy Award in 1971: Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group for "Proud Mary." But the abuse continued, and they finally split in 1976 and divorced two years later. 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. [204] On multiple occasions, Turner said that he was never officially married to Tina. [16], On January 16, 2008, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Turner had died from a cocaine overdose. [239] He played bass guitar in his mother's band after his parents divorced and he later played in his father's band. "[183] Phil Spector criticized Tina's book and called the film a "piece of trash" during his eulogy at Turner's funeral. By then both of his parents were deceased, so he could not verify the origin of his name. "The cause of death for Ike Turner is cocaine toxicity with other significant conditions, such as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema", Supervising Medical Examiner Investigator Paul Parker told CNN. The texture and flavor of R&B owe a lot to him. In June 1985, Turner was arrested and charged with conspiracy to sell $16,000 worth of cocaine, possession and maintaining a residence for selling or using a controlled substance. "Rocket 88" is notable among other things for Willie Kizart's distorted guitar sound. [229] In 2016, she released her memoir Love Had Everything to Do with It, which details her volatile relationship with Turner due to his bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Thelma was pregnant, not by me, but I liked her. In 2003, John Collis published Ike Turner: King of Rhythm about the life and musical contributions of Turner. Louis. In those days blacks didn't bother with divorces. With Ike taking to her powerful voice, they soon became the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. In 1986, Turner was arrested for cocaine possession. How many wives did Ike Turner have? His early influences included Amos Milburn and Louis Jordan, as well as country music artists such as Hank Williams Sr. and Merle Travis. [6][214] Her mother, Pat Richard, attended Sumner High School with Tina in St. Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, the woman who would become known as .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Tina Turner had a rough family life. ", Turner was praised by his contemporaries for his influence. [106], In April 1969, Turner and the Kings of Rhythm released an album, A Black Man's Soul, on Pompeii Records. King and the Beale Streeters to record for Modern at the YMCA in Memphis. Vocalist on the album include Turner's last wife Audrey Madison Turner and former Ikette Bonnie Bramlett. [259], Turner died without a valid will. [144], In his career, Turner originally worked in the style of 1950s R&B, or post-jump blues. It had three custom single coil 1960s Strat pickups. Craig died in an apparent suicide in 2018. [54][55] Turner estimated he wrote seventy-eight hit records for the Biharis. [111] Artists who recorded there included Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Duane Allman, Little Richard, Gayle McCormick, and Frank Zappa. He would come in and stand behind the piano and watch me play. According to Turner, they did not consummate their marriage. [115] Tina fled from the hotel shortly after they arrived, and filed for divorce on July 27, 1976. [93], The Revue performed rigorously on the Chitlin' Circuit and built a reputation as "one of the hottest, most durable, and potentially most explosive of all R&B ensembles. She reported a positive working relationship with Turner, and later released the memoir Freebase Ain't Free about their close friendship. [126] Turner later appeared on the song "Love Gravy" with Rick James for the soundtrack album Chef Aid: The South Park Album. Together they were, as Tina would later proclaim, nice and rough. Turner played guitar and assisted in production on Walker's 1997 album Great Guitars; Walker paid him $5,000 a night for six songs. [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. He asked for one more tour with me, and I said, 'No, absolutely not.' [198] Hill injured his ankle and left Bullock before their son Craig was born in August 1958. Louis. 214 on 2012 revised list). [173], Turner then married Rosa Lee Sane in West Memphis, Arkansas. 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