Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo composed of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. They were regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit" and "leading exponents" of soul music.
Ike & Tina Turner had a string of R&B hits with their early recordings "A Fool In Love", "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "I Idolize You", "Poor Fool", and "Tra La La La La". The release of "River Deep – Mountain High" in 1966, followed by a tour of the UK with the Rolling Stones, increased their popularity in Europe. Their later works are noted for interpretive soul-infused re-arrangements of rock songs such as "Come Together", "Honky Tonk Woman", and "Proud Mary", the latter of which won them a Grammy Award in 1972. The pair received the first Golden European Record Award for their international hit "Nutbush City Limits" in 1974. They released dozens of albums; their most successful by chart performance being Workin' Together. Pitchfork listed their album River Deep – Mountain High among the best of its era. The duo sold more than 10 million records worldwide. Despite their success, they had a tumultuous marriage and disbanded in 1976. Following their divorce, Tina achieved a highly acclaimed solo career, while Ike later found renewed success after returning to his blues roots. Ike died on December 12, 2007, at age 76, and Tina died on May 24, 2023, at age 83.
Ike & Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Two of their singles, "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Proud Mary," were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them No. 2 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Career
1954–1959: Origins In 1954, musician and bandleader Ike Turner visited his sister Lee Ethel Knight in St. Louis, Missouri. Soon after, he returned with his band, the Kings of Rhythm, to perform at Ned Love's club in East St. Louis, Illinois. Love eventually convinced Turner to relocate his band from Clarksdale, Mississippi. By 1956, Turner and his band became one of the most popular live attractions in the St. Louis and neighboring East St. Louis club scene. Prior to his move, Turner worked as a talent scout and session musician for Sun Records, Modern Records, and RPM Records. Around this time, Ann Bullock had moved to St. Louis from Brownsville, Tennessee. She began attending a predominantly African American nightclub, Club Manhattan, where she saw the Kings of Rhythm for the first time. She later recalled that she "almost went into a trance" watching Turner play.
Bullock eventually got to know Turner and his band. Bullock, who had tried to convince Turner to let her perform onstage with him, was given a microphone from the band's drummer Eugene Washington. Washington was the boyfriend of Bullock's sister Alline Bullock, who was a bartender at the club. Turner was playing B.B. King's "You Know I Love You" on the organ when Bullock chimed in. He was taken aback by her strong voice which was in contrast to her skinny frame. He asked her if she knew more songs, and by the end of the night she had joined the Kings of Rhythm. Still in high school, Bullock performed with Turner on weekends at all of the local clubs. She was one of many other vocalists, mostly male, who would front the band at times. She began dating Turner's saxophonist Raymond Hill, with whom she had her first child, Craig Raymond Turner, born in 1958 (died in 2018).
In 1958, Bullock sang on "Boxtop" under the name "Little Ann". The single was released on the St. Louis label, Tune Town Records. Bullock later moved into Turner's home in East St. Louis, where she was trained by him on vocal control and performance. They developed a close friendship, and acted more like "brother and sister". However, their friendship eventually turned into a romantic relationship and she became pregnant in January 1960.
1960–1965: Early success
In March 1960, Ike scheduled his band to record a song he wrote, titled "A Fool In Love", for singer Art Lassiter. Lassiter failed to show up for the recording session at Technisonic Studios in St. Louis. Having already booked the studio time, Ike allowed Bullock to record the song as a demo with Lassiter's backing vocalists, the Artettes: Robbie Montgomery, Frances Hodges, and Sandra Harding. During a gig at the Club Manhattan in East St. Louis, Ike played the record which caught the attention of local disc jockey Dave Dixon from the radio station KATZ. Dixon asked Ike to let him send the record to Juggy Murray, the president of Sue Records in New York. Murray was impressed by Bullock's vocal delivery and bought the rights to the song. Murray offered Ike a $20,000 advance, convincing him to keep Bullock's vocals on the record and suggesting that he "make her the star" of his show. This prompted Ike to rename her Tina Turner, however, family and friends still called her Ann. He then trademarked the name for protection, so that if she left he could hire another female artist and have her perform under the moniker "Tina Turner". He chose the name Tina because it rhymed with Sheena, his favorite character, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. At first they were going to use "Ike Turner and Tina" on the record, but Murray suggested that "Ike and Tina Turner" sounded better. Tina had reservations about continuing her relationship with Ike. According to Tina, after she expressed her concern, Ike responded by hitting her in the head with a wooden shoe stretcher.
The single "A Fool In Love" became an immediate hit after its release in July 1960, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides on August 15. Ike formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, which included the Kings of Rhythm, male vocalist Jimmy Thomas, and a trio of female vocalists called the Ikettes. As the single climbed the pop chart they went from playing in clubs to theaters such as the Apollo Theater in Harlem. On October 3, they made their first national television debut on American Bandstand when Tina was over eight months pregnant. "A Fool In Love" peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100 on October 17, eventually selling a million copies. Journalist Kurt Loder described the song as "the blackest record to creep into the white pop charts since Ray Charles's gospel-styled 'What'd I Say' the previous summer." On October 27, Tina gave birth to their son Ronald "Ronnie" Renelle Turner.
The success of the single was followed with another hit, "I Idolize You" and the release of their debut album The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner in February 1961. That same month, before a gig at Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., Tina decided to have her hair bleached, but a miscue resulted in her hair falling out. To cover up the incident Ike bought Tina a wig, which became incorporated into her stage appearance. In June 1961, the duo released their next hit, "It's Gonna Work Out Fine". Juggy Murray is credited as the sole producer, but the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia also contributed to the song. It became Ike and Tina's second million-seller, and earned them their first Grammy nomination for Best Rock and Roll Recording at the 4th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Ike & Tina Turner Revue toured a grueling series of one-nighters throughout the United States on the Chitlin' Circuit, breaking racial barriers by performing in front of integrated audiences in the Deep South. Follow-up top 10 R&B hits in 1962 include "Poor Fool" and "Tra La La La La". Thanks to the addition of singers Stacy Johnson and Vernon Guy, Tina and the Ikettes who at this point comprised Robbie Montgomery, Venetta Fields, and Jessie Smith, began incorporating dance routines into the act. During this period, the revue built a reputation as one of the most explosive R&B ensembles. Their live performances were a musical spectacle comparable to the style of James Brown and the Famous Flames.
In 1962, Ike and Tina married in Tijuana, Mexico, and moved their entire band to Los Angeles. In November 1962, Ike and Tina filed a $330,000 joint lawsuit with Placid Music Corporation against Sue Records, Saturn Music, and Juggy Murray for "failing and refusing to give an accounting and pay certain royalties." They also charged that Sue "withheld and concealed over $100,000" of their earnings from them. In 1963, their last two albums they previously recorded were issued on Sue, Don't Play Me Cheap and It's Gonna Work Out Fine. Also in 1963, Ike purchased a home in View Park with an advance given by Murray for a renewed contract which they didn't sign. Instead, the duo severed ties with Murray who had been their manager during their Sue tenure. In 1964, they signed to Warner Bros. Records and hired Bob Krasnow as their manager.
To make sure he always had a record out while on tour, Ike formed various labels such as Teena, Prann, Innis, Sony, Sonja Records. He released singles from vocalists within the revue and other groups as well. While Ike constantly recorded the revue, they performed 300 days out of the year to make up for lack of hit records. The personnel of the Kings of Rhythm and the lineup of Ikettes changed often. In the mid-1960s, Jimi Hendrix briefly played backing guitar in the band.
In 1964, Ike and Tina had modest R&B hits with "You Can't Miss Nothing That You Never Had" and "A Fool For A Fool". They released their first live album, Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live, on Kent in November 1964. It was their first album to chart, reaching No. 90 on the Cash Box Top 100. Their first Billboard charting album, Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show, was released in January 1965 on Warner Bros. Records. It reached No. 126 on Billboard Top LP's and No. 8 on Hot R&B LP's in February 1965. In 1965, the duo had two top 40 Billboard R&B hits with "Tell Her I'm Not Home" on Loma Records and "Good Bye, So Long" on Modern Records. Later that year, they re-signed to Sue and released the single "Two Is A Couple", which peaked at No. 15 on the Cash Box R&B chart.
Throughout 1965, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue performed on several teen rock and roll television shows including Shindig!, Hollywood a Go Go, and American Bandstand. Tina and the Ikettes improved their choreography by incorporating high energy dance routines. Phil Spector had seen them perform at a club on the Sunset Strip and invited them to appear in the concert film The Big T.N.T. Show which was filmed on November 29–30, 1965. By the end of the year, the official incarnation of the Ikettes abruptly left and eventually formed the Mirettes. Ike hired another set of Ikettes: Pat Arnold (a.k.a. P. P. Arnold), Gloria Scott, and Maxine Smith.
1966–1969: Career development