The late ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Tina Turner, had an infamously tumultuous and abusive relationship with her first husband Ike Turner.
In Tina’s 1986 autobiography, I, Tina: My Life Story, the soul singer shared that she suffered bodily abuse all through her 16 yr marriage to Ike that pushed her to tried suicide.
The pair, who made up the R&B duo Ike and Tina Turner Revue, divorced in 1978. Their unstable relationship has been the focus of productions resembling the 1993 movie, What’s Love Got to Do With It and the 2018 West End musical, Tina.
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Since their break up, each Tina and Ike remarried and publicly mentioned the allegations of abuse earlier than Ike’s demise in 2007.
Here, we have a look again at how the ill-fated duo met, their musical success and Tina’s inspiring legacy of standing up towards abuse.
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How Tina first met Ike
The pair first met in 1957 at a membership in St Louis, Missouri when Tina was simply 16 years outdated.
Still in highschool, Tina had simply moved to the metropolis when she got here throughout Ike’s band, Kings of Rhythm, acting at the nightclub.
At the time, Ike was in a relationship with Lorraine Taylor when Tina started often performing with the band.
Tina would go on to develop into a everlasting fixture, forming the musical duo act, Ike and Tina Turner Revue.
Ike and Tina Turner Revue
Born Anna Mae Bullock, Tina formally modified her title to ‘Tina Turner’ at Ike’s bequest after beforehand going by the stage title, ‘Little Ann’.
The pair then shaped the R&B duo, Ike and Tina Turner Revue, the place Tina first wowed audiences with her show-stopping voice as the act’s lead singer.
They launched their first album in 1961 and located worldwide success after opening for the Rolling Stones on their British tour leg in 1966 and later their American tour in 1969.
READ MORE: Simply the Best: Tina Turner’s life in footage
Their first hit monitor was none apart from Tina’s rendition of Proud Mary which gained the duo a Grammy Award for greatest R&B vocal efficiency by a bunch.
Ike and Tina went on to produce 21 albums with hits together with River Deep Mountain High, Bold Soul Sister and It’s Gonna Work Out Fine.
A unstable marriage
After turning into pregnant with their first and solely youngster, Ronnie Turner, Tina reportedly married Ike when she was 22-years-old in 1962 in Tijuana, Mexico.
Tina adopted Ike’s two kids from his earlier relationship whereas Ike adopted Tina’s son Craig Hill.
After 16 years collectively, Tina filed for divorce in 1976, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for his or her break up. The divorce was finalised two years later, with the pair going their separate methods each personally and musically.
In her 1986 autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, a decade after her divorce, Tina revealed Ike had regularly abused and cheated on her, which led to a suicide try.
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“I had an abusive life, there’s no other way to tell the story,” Tina said in her 2021 documentary, Tina.
In her 2018 memoir, My Love Story, the singer detailed how Ike would beat her head with a “wooden shoe stretcher” and burn her with scalding espresso.
“Our life together was a mockery of a ‘normal’ relationship: defined by abuse and fear, not love, or even affection.”
Ike spoke out publicly in response to Tina’s allegations, admitting in his 1999 memoir, Takin’ Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner, that he had “slapped” and “punched” her.
Tina informed the Sunday Times in 2018 that whereas she had forgiven Ike a long time later, she would “not work with him” ever once more.
Before dying from a cocaine overdose in 2007, the place Turner didn’t attend his funeral, Ike revealed he had written Tina an apology letter that he by no means despatched.
Tina’s inspiring legacy of ‘hope’ for survivors of abuse
On May twenty fourth, 2023, the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ died at the age of 83 after struggling a longtime sickness.
The songstress’ demise has introduced a wave of star-studded tributes flooding in, praising Tina’s inspiring legacy for fellow survivors of home abuse.
Former Spice Girls’ member, Melanie Janine Brown, aka ‘Scary Spice’, posted to Instagram to share how Tina’s demise was “personally” devastating to her following Mel B’s allegations of abuse towards ex-husband Stephen Belafonte.
“She did the impossible she left him she survived she got away, and gave ALL survivors like me hope”, Brown wrote.
READ MORE: Tina Turner endured what no dad or mum ought to ever have to
Oprah Winfrey, who has spoken beforehand about her childhood trauma as a survivor of sexual assault, additionally launched a tribute praising her longtime good friend Tina Turner for being a “clarion call for triumph” after claiming her “freedom” from abuse.
“I’m grateful for her courage, for showing us what victory looks like wearing Manolo’s and a leather miniskirt”, Winfrey stated.
If you or somebody you already know is in want of assist contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 732 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Alcohol and Drug Support Line on 1800 198 024. In an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).
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Simply the Best: Tina Turner’s life in footage
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