National
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ike Turner Dead at 76
By Bryan Ochalla

Dec 13, 2007

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ike Turner died at his San Diego home earlier today, according to celebrity Web site TMZ.com. So far, there’s no word as to what caused the death of the 76-year-old best known for his work with ex-wife Tina Turner in the ‘60s and '70s. 

Considered by many to be one of the fathers of rock and roll, Turner recorded what some call the first rock and roll record, Rocket 88, in 1951. Although he helped discover such luminaries as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and Elmore James in the ensuing years, his most famous discovery—and the discovery that brought him the most fame as well—was Anna Mae Bullock (who later took on the moniker Tina Turner).

The pair, who eventually married and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, had 17 top 40 R&B hit singles between 1960 and 1975, with their rousing cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, “Proud Mary”, being their most successful (it reached the top five of both the pop and R&B charts).

Ike and Tina broke up in 1976, their turbulent life later chronicled in Tina Turner’s biography, What’s Love Got to Do With It? (and depicted on the big screen in the 1993 film of the same name, which starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett).

Although most of Ike Turner’s solo material that followed was ill received, his album Risin' With the Blues earned him both critical praise and a 2007 Grammy in the traditional blues album category.