Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rteacher]

... died Wednesday (at 76)

His career was overshadowed by charges made against him by "wife" Tina and Laurence Fishburne's portrayal of him in the movie, "What's Love Got To Do With It", based on Tina Turner's autobiography.

He and his band, The Kings of Rhythm are credited by some as making the first rock-and-roll recording in 1951, "Rocket 88", which he originally wrote.

His early inspirations were blues greats, including Howling Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Elmore James.

His biggest success, of course, was his act with Tina:

Turner's music career changed drastically after meeting a teenage singer from Nutbush, Tennessee, named Anna Mae Bullock, who demandingly grabbed a microphone during a singing session at one of St. Louis' nightspots and sung a BB King song in her now-trademark throated raspy vocals. Bullock's performance impressed Ike so much he allowed Anna to join his band as a background singer. However within a year, Ike's plans for Bullock changed after Anna recorded what he originally stated was a demo for a song that was to be sung by a male vocalist. After hearing her vocals, he let it be released under an independent label and in the process changed the name of the singer from Anna Mae Bullock to Tina Turner - naming her after Sheena, and the name of the band to the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. That song, "A Fool in Love", became a national hit reaching the top three of the R&B charts becoming a top thirty pop hit in the process in early 1960. From then until 1976, Ike and Tina Turner became one of the most explosive duos in rock & soul music. The creation of the revue also led to the soul revues of the 1960s. Inspired by Ray Charles, Turner created a trio of sexy background singers and dancers who were named The Ikettes who often had their moves choreographed by Tina and Ike. The Turners eventually scored several hit singles including "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep - Mountain High", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Proud Mary" and "Nutbush City Limits" in between thirteen years.

He was in prison on drug charges when Tina accepted their induction into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Although for a long time he denied the violent abuse charges leveled against him, he admitted this much in his 2001 autobiography:

"Sure, I've slapped Tina... There have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. But I never beat her."

Reportedly, he stayed sober and continued to play and record music from 1993 till his passing.

In 2007, Ike won his first solo Grammy in the "Best Traditional Blues Album" category for the album, Risin' With the Blues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ike_Turner

http://music.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=288220&GT1=7702

On a personal note, my late father was such an avid fan of "Ike and Tina" when he saw their act in Vegas that Ike actually invited him up to their suite to give him an autographed album (after my father falsely stated that his son was a huge fan...)

Anyway, my dad found himself in their room, received a free album personally autographed to me - and (best of all... ) got to see Tina Turner coming out of the shower!

As fate would have it, my mother put that album on a table with a bunch of others when she had a garage sale. My dad was shocked to see it out there priced to sell at 25 cents.

(I think he later sold it to a collecter for around $250.00 - I wish I still had it now ...)

[itaewonguy]

IKE reminds me of michael jacksons father..

sure IKE and tina made good music together..
but it was TINA who made them the stars they were, and IKE couldnt handle that!

he wont be missed.. but TINA will...

[Czarjorge]

Just can't get over the whole "hitting a woman" thing. No, that's not right. It's more about the character flaw of someone who would be willing to physically dominate someone smaller than themselves, someone unable to physically protect theirself without a weapon. I suppose if I ever met a woman as large and physically strong as I am, and she threw down, I wouldn't see any immorality in fighting back, other than the inherent immorality of violence.

Then again, it was a different time then. I wish I could seperate the art from the artist more effectively.

[ladron]

he's beating women in heaven now

[Rteacher]

Drugs and alcohol definitely impair judgment, and he probably had a weird upbringing (his parents died when he was 12, I think, and he didn't know his real name...)

I think that by his standards, he really didn't think he seriously abused Tina.

He didn't even recall marrying her ...

Anyway, he'll always be remembered as a cruel woman beater, but he probably didn't mean to be - he just raged out-of-control on occasion when he was juiced up ...

[itaewonguy]

[twg]

Playing Proud Mary on Satan's steamboat right now...