Major Works
- The Confessions of Ike Turner: Takin’ Back My Name (with Nigel Cawthorne) autobiography
Albums
All with Tina Turner
- River Deep Mountain High
- The Kent Years
- Mississippi Rolling Stone
Ike Turner: A Biography
by Brashley Barnett (SHS)
Ike Turner is one of the best-known performers of the early 60’s and 70’s. A talented and successful musician, Ike Turner was born November 5, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. As a teenager Ike played the piano and was a disc jockey on radio station WROX. In 1951 he joined a Rhythm and Blues group called the Kings of Rhythm. The Kings of Rhythm had one major hit song called “Rocket 88.” Then Ike became a talent scout and discovered Annie Mae Bullock. In 1956 Annie Mae and Ike fell in love and soon got married. Annie later changed her name to Tina Turner. Ike added Tina to their group’s horn section and also added some backup singers. The group was later renamed The Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Ike and Tina made their first hit when another singer failed to show up for a recording session. That’s when “A Fool In Love” was recorded (All Shook Up 81).
In 1961 Ike and Tina released many singles including “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,” which made them major stars in England. One of the greatest hits was recorded in 1966 with Phil Spector. “River Deep, Mountain High” landed very high on the charts, but they soon topped that with “Proud Mary.” Some other hit songs include “Want To Take You Higher,” “Nutbush City Limits,” and “The Midnight Special.”
However, when the spotlight was off and the singing was over, Ike really had uncontrollable problems which surfaced at home and affected the ones he loved : his wife, his children and himself. Ike was an abuser emotionally and physically. Ike was a major user and addict of drugs, which soon led to a downward spiral. Tina got fed up and left Ike and the whole lifestyle in 1976. Ike’s life was on a collision course from there on. He was arrested for drug and battery. During this time Ike recorded two solo albums in his own studio, and he later wrote a book called Taking Back My Life . He also remade “Proud Mary” with Billy Rodgers. Today he is sixty-five (see note below) and plays gigs at the House of Blues and Hustling.
Tina likewise has written two books and released a movie about her life . She now (see note below) has her own band and is making more money than she did with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. She also remarried.
Note: Ike Turner passed away in December of 2007.
Note: Tina Turner died May 23, 2023 at the age of 83 after battling numerous illnesses. She was born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee, but she became a Swiss citizen in her early 70’s. Married to Ike Turner for 20 years, she became a superstar of her own in her early 40’s.
Timeline
- 1931- Ike Turner was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
- 1951– Was playing in his own band (Kings of Rhythm)
- 1951– Put out popular song called “Rocket 88,” which he claims is the first true rock-and-roll song. It won Ike an induction into the Rock &Roll Hall of Fame. Turner claims his place as “The Father of rock-and-roll.”
- 1956– Met Tina Turner and she joined the (Kings of Rhythm).
- 1958– Ike and Tina were married.
- 1960– Ike got backup singers and renamed the group the Ike and Tina Turner Revue
- 1961– “A Fool In Love” was recorded.
- 1966– “Proud Mary” was released
- 1969– Opened for the Rolling Stones
- 1971– “Proud Mary” reached No.4 on pop chart
- 1976– Tina left Ike.
- 1991 – Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Tina Turner
- 1994– Ike released the remake of “Proud Mary” with Billy Rodgers
- 1996– Ike played at The Harvard Square House of Blues on August 25, 1996
- 2001 – Kins of Rhythm Tour
- 2007 – Ike Turner passed away
- 2023 -Tina Turner died in Switerland.
AJC article about Tina Turner at her death in 2023. Click to enlarge.
Related Websites
Bibliography
All Shook Up Wilson, 81