![]() The star remembers, "I must have sung that 500,000 times. As Tina tells it in the documentary, Spector required perfection, forcing Tina to sing the song for hours on end without a break until he deemed it perfect. Spector was only interested in producing Tina as a solo act and would go on to help her create one of her biggest hits, “River Deep-Mountain High.” Yet despite a shared affinity for intimidating and controlling women, Spector and Ike reportedly didn’t get along. It would also be discovered that Spector had pulled guns on women at least four separate times after they rebuffed his advances. (He was sentenced to 19 years and died in prison in 2021). In 1966, Ike and Tina were noticed by music producer Phil Spector whom, in 2003 would become infamous for murdering actress Lana Clarkson. He had her on an allowance so she couldn’t have financial independence, a common tactic of abusers to continue the cycle of control and dependence. Ike and Tina married in Tijuana and hit the road soon after, touring for eight months at a time.Īll the while, according to the documentary, Tina was still strictly controlled by Ike. In addition to the abuse, Tina soon became a mom of four, caring for two sons Ike had had with a previous girlfriend. I knew if I left, there was no one to sing.”ĭuring this time, Ike and Tina created ironically named famous hits like “A Fool in Love,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” and “I Idolize You,” even though no one knew the full extent of what was going on behind the scenes. In the documentary, Tina say she felt sorry for Ike. After Ike would subject Tina to horrendous acts of abuse, he would force her to get on stage and perform as if nothing had happened. But as Ike’s abuse escalated, so did the duo’s fame. ![]() In one incident, he whipped her with wire coat hangers. According to Tina, Ike was abusive during and after pregnancy, sexually assaulting her while she was pregnant. Tina was 21 when she gave birth to her second son, her first with Ike, whom they named Ronnie. Tina recalls that Ike’s controlling behavior and quick temper were apparent from the start, and his physical abuse started soon after-the first incident was him striking her in the head with a wooden shoe stretcher during an argument. The two became a couple in secret-Ike still dating someone else at the time. It was said that Ike pursued Tina soon after more so to advance his fame than anything else. The two broke up before Tina could give birth to their son, Craig, in 1958. Tina, still a high school student, was dating the band’s saxophonist Raymond Hill when she found she was pregnant. He also trademarked Tina’s name so that if she ever left the band, he could replace her with another Tina Turner. Not wanting her fame to eclipse his, Ike changed Anna Mae Bullock’s name to Tina Turner, giving a young Tina his last name even though the two weren’t a couple. He insisted that Ike make her the star of the show. She quickly became a featured singer with the band, and it wasn’t long before the band’s manager took notice. Not surprisingly, her powerful voice stunned the crowd. Tina, who grew up singing Black gospel music in her church, persisted.Įventually, she was given a chance at the mic. She asked if she could sing with the men, though it was unheard of at the time to have a female lead singer in an all-male band. She was only 17, he was 25 and played guitar with a band called the Kings of Rhythm. ![]() It was 1957 when Tina met Ike Turner at a nightclub. Now teenagers, Tina and her sister Ruby would reunite with their mother in St. During the next several years, Tina suffered more loss-her sister Evelyn was killed in a car crash when she was 19. Tina, along with her sisters Ruby and Evelyn, were sent to live with their grandmother in Brownsville, Tennessee. ![]() In the 2021 HBO documentary, Tina, the singer says of that time, “I waited for her to come for us and she never did.” But in return, she would sacrifice her relationship with her three daughters, leaving them behind. When Tina was only 11, her mom left her abusive husband, Tina’s father. 26, 1939, in Nutbush, Tennessee to Floyd and Zelma Bullock. But she still made her comeback.” Tina Turner’s Early Life From being a superstar making headlines to having nothing but her name. Because look at her-she did it and did it in the most difficult of times. “I think she is a superhero. She provided me with the tenacity to survive," says Misty Frye, associate director of the New Orleans Family Justice Center. She was not only an icon but a survivor, enduring years of abuse at the hands of her husband and musical partner, Ike Turner, before bravely speaking out publicly on it. The legacy she leaves behind far surpasses her musical talent. Tina Turner, the queen of rock and roll, passed away on May 24 at the age of 83. ![]()
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