One of my earliest memories of television was seeing the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. I remember them singing “Proud Mary.” It amazed me how slowly the song started out with Ike’s deep baritone voice, then switched to a quick tempo with Tina and the back up singers lively dancing. To this day, I love that song, so it sadden me a bit to hear that Ike Turner died today at his home in San Diego today the age of 67.
Of course, I was a child when I fell in love with “Proud Mary” and had no idea of the kind of hell Ike put Tina through. Ike started his music career in the late 40s in a band called The Kings of Rhythm. The band recorded the song “Rocket 88” in 1951. Some argue that this was the first rock and roll record ever released.
Ike’s life change forever when he met a young teenager in Nutbush, Tennessee by the name of Anna Mae Bullock. Anna Mae, Ike would later change her name to Tina, had a throaty, raspy voice and the moves of a firecracker on stage. From the early 60s to the mid 70s, Ike, Tina, and the Ikettes were a very popular rock and soul act.
However, their personal life was not so great. Ike married Tina in 1962, he was physically abusive to her and it is said he often cheated on her. Tina finally left him in 1976 while on tour. Their divorce was final in 1978, with Ike taking all the assets gained during the marriage.
Once the news of the abuse was out, Ike’s image was tarnished. He was able to continue working, touring again with the Kings of Rhythm. He even won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues category. Tina, of course, went on to great success with many hit singles and albums. She wrote an autobiography titled “What’s Love Got To Do With It” about her abusive life with Ike. The book was later made into a hit movie starring Laurence Fishburne.
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