For Tina Turner, her marriage to Ike Turner was martyrdom. Many years later, the musician was still suffering from the consequences of her ex-husband’s abuse, with whom she had had great success in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tina and Ike Turner’s marriage was a story of great success, deep chasms and brutal abuse. In the end, the singer was able to forgive her violent ex-husband.
Ike Turner and Anna Mae Bullock, as Tina Turner was actually called, met in 1956. The musician and producer hired her for his band Kings of Rhythm, where she initially acted as a background singer. The story begins with a tumult: “Little Ann” (Ike gave her her name) began an affair with the band’s saxophonist, Raymond Hill. She became pregnant by him and their son Raymond Craig Turner was born in 1958. Bullock didn’t stay with Hill, however — he began a relationship with Turner. She first took center stage in 1960’s song “A Fool In Love.” Ike actually wanted to record this song with a singer who didn’t show up in the studio. She took over the lead vocals together with Ike. The song became a success and the duo Ike & Tina Turner was born (his stage name is also credited to him). In the same year their son Ronnie was born. In 1962, they got married in Tijuana, Mexico.
Broken bones, physical agony
The collaboration between Tina and Ike Turner was characterized by hits, successful albums and extensive tours. However, their marriage turned into martyrdom for Tina. Ike was bullying, drinking increasingly heavily, using cocaine — and severely abusing her. “Cracked lips, black eyes, dislocated joints, broken bones and mental anguish became part of everyday life,” she wrote in her 2020 book Happiness Becomes You kind rape”, she quoted the “Kurier”. In her autobiography “I, Tina” she says: “The relationship with Ike was the most unhappy for me. At first I was really in love with him. He had done a lot for me. But he was absolutely unpredictable. Bipolar disorder was diagnosed late in life.” Tina’s suffering went so far that in 1968 she attempted suicide.
Ike Turner, on the other hand, showed little remorse. In 1985 he told SPIN magazine, “I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done, absolutely nothing, man, because it all took me to make me who I am today – and I love myself today, that.” I really do. Yes, I hit her, but no more than the average man hits his wife. The truth is that our lives were no different than the man next door’s. It was overdone. People buy bad news, dirty news. If she says I abused her, then maybe I did too.”
Divorce and Late Forgiveness
In 1976, Tina Turner filed for divorce, which became final two years later. For the musician, the divorce was a financial catastrophe: she was sued by concert organizers for missed concerts by the two (and took responsibility for it) and had to pay existing tax debts. However, she retained the rights to her own songs.
Ike Turner died in 2007. “As an old person,” said the 78-year-old times in an interview, “I forgave him, but I wouldn’t have done anything with him anymore.” At the end of his life, her ex-husband asked her again if the two wanted to go on tour, but she refused: ” No, absolutely not. Ike wasn’t someone to be forgiven and then taken back. I put all that time behind me,” said the musician.