Tina and Ike Turner’s relationship timeline: One of music’s greatest duos battled addiction and abuse offstage
Tina and Ike Turner may have created some of the most iconic music of all time like their covers of 'Proud Mary' and 'River Deep', but when it came to their relationship, harmony seemingly wasn't in the equation.
Rolling Stone may have named them the second greatest duo of all time, but for Tina Turner, her marriage to Ike Turner led to terrible consequences. But before it all went so wrong, what drew Ike and Tina Turner together?
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It certainly wasn't love at first sight for Tina. In fact far from it. Tina met Ike for the first time at a nightclub, where he was the bandleader of the group 'Kings of Rhythm', but while she didn't find him easy on the eyes, his voice did draw her in. It seems that the admiration for each other's talent was mutual. When Ike heard Tina sing B.B. King's 'You Know I Love You', it seems that a bond was formed and laid the foundation for the musical duo they would become. Ike and Tina married in 1962 and went on to have a son. They both also had children from previous relationships, Tina had a child from her relationship with Raymond Hill, and also was a mother figure to Ike's two sons.
Tina and Ike may not have been successful personally, but professionally they were a hit machine. Tina and Ike's first R&B hit was 'A Fool in Love' in 1960, reaching No. 2 on the charts. Tina and Ike's other top ten R&B hits include 'I Idolize You', 'It’s Gonna Work Out Fine', 'Poor Fool' and 'Tra La La La La'. However, it was their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Proud Mary' that catapulted Ike and Tina into a different musical stratosphere. 'Proud Mary' earned Ike and Tina, a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. The trademark moves that Ike and Tina and their backup dancers brought to 'Proud Mary', cemented their position as performers one simply had to see.
However while she may have brought fans to life with her energetic performances, Tina Turner was at such a low point personally, that she attempted to take her own life in 1968. Years later Tina would share that Ike had abused her throughout their marriage physically and emotionally. From beating her regularly, to parading mistresses in front of Tina, this marriage took a toll on Tina in more ways than one. It was in the summer of 1976 in Dallas, where the troubles in Tina and Ike's relationship came to a head. Tina and Ike had a gig in Dallas and on their way to the hotel got into a physical altercation in the car. Soon after that Tina fled to a nearby Ramada Inn to hide from Ike and also hid at several friends' homes. Tina and Ike's divorce was finalized in 1978 and Tina retained her songwriter royalties from songs she had written, but Ike received the publishing royalties for his compositions and hers. She also kept her two Jaguars, furs and jewelry along with her stage name.
Tina's Buddhist practice was crucial in helping her find some stability at this time when she found herself divorced and in debt. But better days were around the corner. Tina staged a comeback that showed she was simply the best, with her 1984 'Private Dancer' album. Tina's comeback was sealed when 'What’s Love Got to Do With It', considered by many to be Tina's trademark song reached No. 1 in the U.S. Tina's life off stage and out of the studio, also went on to inspire millions when the film 'What's Love Got To Do With It', released in 1993 starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
Ike Turner also went on to have some professional success, winning another Grammy in the category of Best Traditional Blues Album with 'Risin’ With the Blues'. However, clearly Ike's issues with addiction plagued him till the end and he died from a cocaine overdose in December 2007.
To find out more about Tina's amazing and inspiring life you can catch 'Tina' on Saturday, March 27, at 8 pm ET/PT on HBO. The film will also be available on HBO Max. You can catch the trailer below.