Career Ike & Tina Turner

1 career

1.1 1956–60: origins
1.2 1960–65: career development
1.3 1965–69: ike & tina turner revue
1.4 1969–75: mainstream success
1.5 1976–78: decline , divorce
1.6 1978–2007: after ike & tina

career
1956–60: origins

by 1956, ike turner , band, kings of rhythm 1 of popular live performing attractions st. louis , neighboring east st. louis club scene. ike had moved there memphis in 1954 after work talent scout modern , rpm labels. around time, young nurse s assistant named anna mae bullock began frequenting nightclubs in both st. louis , east st. louis sister alline , several friends. 1 night, bullock saw ike , kings of rhythm performing @ east st. louis club, club manhattan. later stated band s performance put in trance .

while there, anna began dating member of ike s band, saxophonist raymond hill , gave birth son craig in 1958. during band intermission in club manhattan, anna given microphone band s drummer gene washington. bullock sang along ike s band several songs night. going stage name little ann , bullock made recording debut background vocalist ike s song box top , became regional single on tune town records. during period, ike trained ann on voice control , performance. in march 1960, singer art lassiter chosen front kings of rhythm. ike had written song lassiter called fool in love . lassiter failed show record. having booked expensive studio time, ike allowed little ann sing song dummy track lassiter. song impressed 1 radio disk jockey told ike send record sue records president juggy murray.

1960–65: career development

upon hearing track, impressed murray bought musical rights song , gave ike $20,000 advance it, convincing ike keep ann s voice on track. ike renamed song s backing female trio ikettes , gave little ann name tina turner after being inspired favorite television character, nyoka. gave name prevent running off it. in case ann left, give woman name of tina turner. including kings of rhythm , ikettes singing (and later dancing) trio, entire troupe performed under name, ike , tina turner revue .

fool in love became hit after release in late spring of 1960, reaching #2 r&b , #27 on billboard hot 100, selling on million copies. described kurt loder years later in tina s autobiography i, tina blackest record ever creep white pop charts since ray charles d year before . in 1961, duo reached top 20 on pop charts s gonna work out fine , became duo s second million-selling single , garnered them first grammy award nomination. duo score several r&b charted singles including idolize , poor fool . in between, personal friendship between ike , tina had turned sexual. ike later described first sexual encounter tina felt had screwed sister or somethin . mean had hoped die... brother , sister. wasn t voice... anyway me , ann tight.

their relationship combative. tina claimed in autobiography ike hit shoe stretcher after complained monetary issues , own misgivings continuing offstage partnership. according tina, marry in 1962 in tijuana, though ike later disputed account. entire revue relocated east st. louis los angeles in 1960. gigging 300 days year touring chitlin circuit make lack of hit records put strain on tina. in 1964, after months of tense business relations, ike turner ended contract juggy murray , sue records. signed kent label , year later signed warner bros. records , subsidiary loma records, met bob krasnow. krasnow begin managing them in 1965.

1965–69: ike & tina turner revue

throughout 1965, revue promoted music on rock , roll-themed musical variety series such american bandstand, hollywood go-go , shindig! concert film big t.n.t. show. in addition deals kent, warner , loma, revue record 7 other labels in five-year period, through 1969. turners lack of hit single blamed on ike turner s limited facility in studio. krasnow, however, changed. hit producer phil spector called krasnow asking him if produce ike , tina, krasnow agreed. spector forked on $25,000 right record them, intent on creating biggest hit .

tina recorded ellie greenwich/jeff barry composition river deep – mountain high in late 1965. released in 1966, song failed become hit in united states. however, in europe, song became hit, reaching top 3 in united kingdom. uk success prompted spector state in interviews, benedict arnold quite guy , in regards united states indifferent reaction song. later year, rolling stones offered ike , tina chance 1 of opening acts on fall tour in united kingdom, accepted. duo took opportunity afterwards book tours on europe , australia attracted audiences. audiences appreciation of band s sound stunned ike turner, noted there wasn t show.

following this, band returned united states in demand despite not having big hit. 1968, performing , headlining in las vegas. year, signed blue thumb records , released first of 2 albums them, first of which, outta season, included modest hit cover of ve been loving long (a song sung , written otis redding). second blue thumb release, hunter, followed in 1969, , included modest hit cover of albert king hit original composition titled bold soul sister . tina s rendition of hunter led singer receiving first solo grammy nomination in 1970. prior ike & tina turner revue, ike had lived teetotal, drug , alcohol free life. following success of revue, however, ike began smoking marijuana and, later, cocaine, after being introduced drug by, says, 2 famous las vegas headliners . in 1968, after violent confrontation ike, tina bought 50 valiums , swallowed them in attempt end life before show in los angeles; tina recovered.

1969–75: mainstream success

ike & tina turner 1972

a second opening spot on rolling stones american tour in november 1969 made ike , tina hot item. during period, group reassigned liberty records after minit records shut down. in 1970, revue released album, come together. title track, cover of famed beatles song, charted, did cover of sly , family stone s want take higher , became first top 40 pop song in 8 years, peaking @ #25, placing several spots higher sly s original had done months earlier. album sell quarter of million copies. same year, ike , tina appeared on ed sullivan show. successful records , increasing popularity mainstream audiences increased nightly fee, going $1,000 night $5,000 night.

late in 1970, band recorded cover of creedence clearwater revival s proud mary . song released following january , became duo s best-selling single date, reaching #4 on billboard hot 100 , selling on million copies, later winning them grammy award best r&b vocal performance duo or group. song s parent album, workin together, became successful studio release, peaking @ #25 on billboard 200. later in 1971, live album, live @ carnegie hall: hear get, released, later being certified gold in u.s. year, reassigned liberty s parent label, united artists records, after liberty folded, releasing later albums on united artists. ike turner later bought own studio, naming bolic sound, in 1972, record rest of material. in 1973, duo released hit nutbush city limits , reached #25 in u.s. , #4 in uk. duo s work on 1974 album, gospel according ike & tina, led duo receiving several grammy nominations. 1 of turners final r&b hits funk oriented single titled sexy ida (pt. 1) .

between 1972 , 1975, ike , tina released either solo or side projects, ike producing 3 albums of material band family vibes (formerly kings of rhythm). tina relied on outside production on first 2 albums, tina turns country on , acid queen. former album, consisting of country songs, resulted in tina receiving second grammy solo nomination, while latter album released build on hype of tina s received performance in musical film version of s tommy.

1976–78: decline , divorce

by 1976, ike turner s addiction cocaine strong had burned hole in nasal septum, leading nosebleeds, relieve himself using more cocaine. during time, ike spending more time @ bolic sound tina , children @ home in inglewood. tina turner, meanwhile, had looked inward alleviate own problems , found solace after friend introduced teachings of buddhism. in july 1976, ike intended on signing five-year contract new record company, cream records, reported yearly amount of $150,000. contract had key person clause, meaning ike have sign contract in 4 days, keeping tina tied ike 5 more years.

on july 1, ike , tina turner revue traveled plane dallas perform @ dallas statler hilton. while on airplane, 2 became embroiled in altercation, led physical fight in limousine. duo presented different accounts went on day. ike accused tina of being negligent him nose bleed due constant cocaine use. tina claimed ike annoyed tina eating chocolates while wearing all-white outfit, causing ike slap her. couple agreed, however, ike had been 5 days straight on cocaine binge. following ike s slap, tina recalled fighting him back, scratching him , kicking him. ike turner alleged musician associate friend 2 went around prizefighters awhile . both ike , tina bleeding time arrived @ hotel. after going suite, ike retired sofa. once ike had fallen asleep, tina grabbed few toiletries, covered herself , escaped of hotel, running across active freeway before stopping @ local ramada inn hotel. claimed later hid @ several friends homes time. ike claims in book tina initiated fight purposely irritating him d have reason break him before scheduled sign new 5-year contract upon return dallas. reveals 3 weeks after split, met meal @ ship s restaurant in los angeles. ike says tina said maybe d after 8 or 9 years. on july 27, 1976, tina turner filed divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences.

ike , tina fought year in divorce court arguing on money , property. late 1977, tina decided stop pursuit of financial earnings. in settlement, tina gave ike share of studio, publishing companies, 4 cars, , real estate — gift worth close $500,000, stating freedom more important. tina agreed retain use of stage name. ike revealed in book takin name tina made offer through lawyer them continue performing marriage end due ike s infidelity. tina wanted him buy , sons separate home. ike declined offer. divorce proceedings ended in november 1977 , finalized march 1978. agreed pay significant irs lien.

1978–2007: after ike & tina

both ike , tina experienced career struggles , setbacks following split-up. both performers continued have successful performing careers, drugs took on ike turner s life. in interim following split of revue, ike recorded albums several former ikettes while completing work on 2 unfinished ike , tina projects until 1980. in 1981, ike turner made headlines after being seen in public singer chaka khan. tina turner managed successful cabaret act between 1977 , 1980, before switching contemporary rock sound. led being opening act groups such rod stewart , rolling stones , led residences @ popular new york nightclub, ritz theatre.

in 1983, having signed capitol records, tina turner released comeback hit, new wave-ish cover of al green s let s stay , became first single chart in 8 years on several billboard charts. hit success led three-album deal in 1984. in june, tina released acclaimed private dancer album, resulting in ebony magazine later called amazing comeback . tina turner s post-comeback career consisted of top-selling albums , record breaking concert tours. in 1988, tina made history performing in front of largest paying audience (approximately 184,000) see solo performer @ maracanã stadium in rio de janeiro, brazil, earning spot on guinness world records. following end of twenty 4 7 tour in 2000, tina made guinness world record selling more concert tickets solo performer in history @ time.

ike later admitted first post-tina years period in behavior had grown increasingly erratic. ike s bolic sound studios burned ground in january 1981 on day set present sale investors. ike had failed pay taxes, led studio being put foreclosure. in 1982, alleged have shot 49-year-old newspaper delivery man accused of assaulting wife, ann thomas. later found not guilty of charge of assault. ike turner convicted of drug offenses, culminating in four-year sentence cocaine possession in 1990. sent california men s colony, san luis obispo, completed 18 months of prison sentence before being released on parole in september 1991.

tina s accounts on life ike turner later documented in autobiography, i, tina, released in 1986. in 1988, both tina , ike signed away rights have lives dramatized in biopic based off tina s book. ike turner later claim signed against since heavily addicted crack @ time , accepted $50,000 payment, waiving right sue film company portrayal of him in film. film s love got helped damage ike s career in 1990s. due film , book, ike s name became synonymous domestic violence, overshadowing contributions music.

following release, ike began working on comeback. in 1993, received royalties salt-n-pepa s sample of song m blue hit single shoop , , responded recording duet version billy rogers. after contributing joe louis walker great guitars, toured blues musician , paid $5,000 night 6 songs. following this, revived kings of rhythm in 2001 , released album, here & now, won him grammy nomination. 5 years later, album, risin blues, won him second grammy award, first solo artist.