Ike Turner has had a bittersweet career. Hailed as creating the first rock and roll song, “Rocket 88”, and sometimes called the Father of Rock and Roll, Turner was seen as a pioneer on the music scene, bringing forth a new sound and energy in the 1950’s and 1960’s never experience by fans before.

This year, Ike Turner won the last Grammy of his long and stormy career for his album Risin’ With the Blues for Best Traditional Blues Album. Ike brought Tina onboard and in 1960 they recorded their breakthrough R&B song “A Fool in Love,” which went number 2 on the charts.

But, Ike had an image problem when the reports of domestic abuse against Tina started to surface. People sympathized with Tina and demonized the drug-abusing, wife-beater that Ike was said to be. Ike has always denied the abuse, but was never able to fully recover his image or career.

Ironically, gun toting record producer Phil Spector who is currently up for murder charges, also helped produce several of the Turner’s songs including “River Deep, Mountain High”. Even though Ike Turner is now dead (of unknown causes at the moment) his legacy is sure to live on in bittersweet fashion, in death as it was in life.

Filed under: Artists