Who are Tina Turner's children? A look at the lives of Raymond Craig, Ronnie, Ike Jr and Michael Turner
Everybody knows what a great singer and performer Tina Turner is. Often dubbed as "Queen of Rock and Roll", a lot has been said and written about this iconic singer behind hit tracks like 'What's Love Got to Do with It'.
Alongside glowing reviews of her vocals, Tina made headlines for her tumultuous and abusive marriage to Ike Turner. The singer was married to Ike Turner from 1962 until 1978. During this period, the couple formed a band known as 'Ike & Tina Turner' and belted out hits like 'Proud Mary', 'River Deep', etc. While their career was rising, their marriage seemed to fall apart with reports of physical abuse and infidelity. Amidst all the chaos in their life, Tina and Ike shared four beautiful children together. But following the split from Ike, Tina's relationship with her children got strained because she left them behind, thinking that she needed to take care of herself first before attending to her children. In case you're wondering about Tina's current relationship status with her children and how things panned out for them, then read on to know all about it.
RELATED ARTICLES
Craig Turner
Tina had her first child- Craig Hill when she was only eighteen. She had him with the saxophonist of 'Kings of Rhythm' band Raymond Hill. Following a split from Raymond, Tina began seeing Ike Turner, who was the frontman of the 'Kings of Rhythm' band. The couple welcomed their first child Ronnie Turner in the same year. Two years later, Tina and Ike married each other, after which Ike adopted Craig as his son, making him Craig Turner. While Tina adopted two of Ike's songs from his previous relationship.
Craig and Tina reportedly shared a very close bond. Craig worked as a real estate agent and was reportedly an employee at Rodeo Realty in Beverly Hills, California. Craig was found dead in 2018 at his home from a self-inflicted gunshot. Tina posted a sweet tribute for her son on her Twitter. She wrote, "My saddest moment as a mother. On Thursday, July 19 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California. He was 55 when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby.”
My saddest moment as a mother. On Thursday, July 19 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California. He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby pic.twitter.com/XzZQCdz8tl
— TinaTurner (@LoveTinaTurner) July 27, 2018
In a 2005 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Tina revealed that Craig was a "very emotional kid" who struggled watching his mother be abused. "He’d always look down in sadness. One day when Ike was fighting me, Craig knocked on the door and said, ‘Mother, are you all right?’ I thought, ‘Oh, please, don’t beat me at home.’ I didn’t want my children to hear.”
Ronnie Turner
Ronnie was the only child that Tina and Ike had together. He was born in 1960. Ronnie followed his parents' footsteps and got into music and acting industry. He is famous for appearing alongside his mother in the hit 90s film 'What’s Love Got To Do With It'. He is married to French singer Alfida Turner.
Ike Turner Jr
Ike Turner Jr became Tina's son after she adopted him in 1962, following her marriage to Ike. Ike Jr was born in 1958 to Ike and Lorraine Taylor. He took ventured into the music industry just like his parents. Ike even won a Grammy for producing 'Risin' with the Blues'.
In 2018, he told DailyMail that his mother had "abandoned" him and the family to be with her new husband Erwin Bach, He also claimed that he hadn't spoken to her since 2000 while adding that she supported the family financially. Tina didn't respond to his accusations.
Michael Turner
Michael too was adopted by Tina after Ike married her. He was born in 1959. There isn't much information available about Michael as he maintains a relatively low profile. But Ike Turner Jr revealed to the publication that Michael was in a "convalescent home in Southern California" and needed medical support.
HBO will be releasing a documentary based on Tina Turner's life called 'Tina' on March 27. The documentary will give us a peek into the singer's professional and personal life, including never-before-seen video footage, audio, photos, etc. The producers of the documentary, Simon and Jonathan Chinn told Deadline, "Tina is the ultimate celebration of a global superstar and an intimate portrait of a woman who overcame extreme adversity to define her career, her identity, and her legacy on her own terms."
'Tina' will premiere on March 27 on HBO.