Turner, Ike

views updated

Ike Turner

Songwriter, singer, guitarist

Ike Turner was around since the dawn of rock and roll. In fact, some credited him with instigating the original sound that became so imitated that it created a world-changing phenomenon. He was best known for his work with Tina Turner during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but after decades out of the limelight, Turner returned in the early 2000s to add yet another chapter to the long and winding story of his life. That chapter had a purpose, as Turner explained to Scott Raab of Esquire: "The rest of this life that I got in me, man, I'm gonna use it to get black music back on the radio." Throughout his career Turner held many roles, including those of talent scout, bandleader, producer, and musician.

Ike Turner was born on November 5, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He learned to play piano at a young age. When he was old enough, Turner formed his own band and started touring the South. To earn extra cash, Turner also scouted for talent along the way. His work in this area brought him to play with such blues legends as Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush. In 1951 Turner was in the studios of Sun Records where a song of his was recorded with his saxophonist Jackie Brenston on vocals. The song, called "Rocket 88," became a hit and was deemed by many as the first rock and roll song ever. Unfortunately for Turner, Brenston received all the credit at the time, until industry insiders several decades later corrected the long-standing mistake and gave writing credits to Turner.

Blazes a Trail with Tina

In 1954 Turner and his backup band the Kings of Rhythm made the move to East St. Louis, Missouri. It was there that Turner made the fateful acquaintance of Anna Mae Bullock. A demo tape of her singing a song that Turner had originally meant for a man to sing impressed Turner so much that he changed Bullock's name to Tina Turner and renamed his entire band the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, Ike and Tina Turner blazed a trail that included originals and stunning covers of recent hits. The two married in 1962 and divorced 16 years later, when Tina left with only her name and the bills from a cancelled tour, asking for nothing as far as a settlement from Ike. In 1971 they earned a Grammy Award for their song "Proud Mary."

In 1991 Turner and Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Turner was serving a prison sentence for drug possession at the time and could not attend the event. Turner told Raab how jail served as a wake-up call for him. "I had hit bottom. And when I hit bottom, it was like jail was the best thing ever happened to me." Turner's addiction to drugs began in the 1960s. By the time the 1980s rolled around, he was broke and broken down, having lost his Los Angeles recording studio to a fire.

In the 1960s Turner had the chance to meet and work with many musicians, some of them before they be- came famous. He regrets that he fired rock and roll guitarist Jimi Hendrix. He recalled to Raab, "I fired this guy because he was too slow on them pedals, and come to find out … it was Jimi Hendrix. You can't win 'em all."

Found a New Lease on Life

Since 1993 Turner claimed to be free and clear of drug use. He told David Hinckley of New York's Daily News, "I'm boring these days. Music is my vice. But I'm 69 and I feel like 19. Music is the best high I've ever found." It was a rap song by Salt-n-Peppa that helped revitalize Turner's career. The rap duo reworked his 1963 hit song "I'm Blue" into the popular hit "Shoop," and Turner started receiving royalties that in the end added up to several hundred thousand dollars. With the money, he built a new home studio and started relearning the art of production.

In 1999 Turner published his autobiography, Takin' Back My Name, the title of which is a response to the widespread public condemnation he received after the release of the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It. In the film, Laurence Fishburne portrayed Ike Turner as an extremely violent, controlling, and abusive presence in Tina Turner's life. Turner told Raab, "That movie is not me. They had to have a villain." Turner was deep into his drug use when Disney representatives came to him with an offer of several thousand dollars if he signed over the use of his likeness to them. Turner signed without reservation, but later, he explained to Hinckley, "Then the movie comes out. … You couldn't give me a million bucks to assassinate my career that way." Ironically, in 1997 Ike and Tina performed in New York City during the same week: Tina at Radio City Music Hall and Ike in Central Park. His audience was standing room only, thrilled by his piano and guitar playing.

In May of 2001 Turner released his first album in 23 years. Called Here and Now, the album was written, produced, and arranged by Turner. He described his feelings about the album to Rolling Stone: "It is one of the greatest things I've ever done. For once, I have what I really want on record. … This music is me. This is my heart here." That same year he played at the Chicago Blues Festival.

Talking about how he saw himself, Turner told Raab, "I'm an organizer. Next, I'm a piano player." A bit more detail about how Turner saw himself was revealed in his self-description to Dan DeLuca of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "I've always been bashful. I'd show you how to do it, how to say it, how to sing it. But for me to go out there and do it myself was always a no-no."

For the Record …

Born on November 5, 1931, in Clarksdale, MS; married: Lorraine Taylor (divorced); Tina Turner (1962; divorced, 1978); Jeanette Bazzell (divorced); Audrey Madison; children: Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald, Mia, Twanna; Died December 12, 2007, in San Marcos, Californina.

Formed Kings of Rhythm, late 1940s; wrote and recorded "Rocket 88," 1951; music scout for record labels, mid-1950s; played guitar for Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, late 1950s; Anna Mae Bullock joined Kings of Rhythm, late 1950s; released "A Fool in Love" with Bullock, now named Tina Turner, reached R&B top three, 1960; renamed band to Ike and Tina Turner review, added backup group Ikettes, 1960; released "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" and "I Idolize You," 1961; released "Poor Fool" and "Tra La La La La," 1962; released "River Deep, Mountain High," produced by Phil Spector, 1966; opened for Rolling Stones tour, released "Come Together" and "I Want to Take You Higher," 1969; released "Proud Mary," 1971; released "Nutbush City Limits," 1973; founded Bolic Sounds, mid-1970s; Salt-N-Peppa sample "I'm Blue" for their hit record "Shoop," 1993; released compilation album I Like Ike: The Best of Ike Turner, 1994; performed Central Park, 1997; played at Chicago Blues Festival, released Here and Now, 2001; released Risin' With the Blues, 2006.

Awards: Grammy Award, Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group, 1971; W. C. Handy Award, Comeback of the Year, 2001; Grammy Award, Best Traditional Blues Album, 2007; Mojo Award, Legend Award, 2007.

Addresses: Manager—Thrill Entertainment, 1141 Catalina Dr., Ste. 159, Livermore, CA 94550, phone: 925-456-9299. Website—Ike Turner Official Website: http://www.iketurner.com/.

In 2007 Turner won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for his 2006 release Risin' With the Blues. He continued to tour extensively and work towards making a difference in the music industry until his death. In 2007 he collaborated with the contemporary blues-influenced rock band Black Keys on an album produced by the popular Danger Mouse. He explained his gratitude to DeLuca: "I'm just glad God gave me a second chance to get past the drugs and past the image they made of me. There aren't many of us left that really know the history of this music. I've got a lot to give. And I'm going to give it, man." Turner died on December 12, 2007, at his home in San Marcos, California, at the age of 76 as a result of a cocaine overdose.