1954–1959: Origins In 1954, musician and bandleader Ike Turner visited his sister Lee Ethel Knight in
St. Louis, Missouri. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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." 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. 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, 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 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. 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. Spector offered $20,000 to release them from their contract and for creative control over his sessions with Tina. After their release from Loma, they signed to Spector's
Philles Records label. On March 7, 1966, Tina began recording the Phil Spector/
Ellie Greenwich/
Jeff Barry composition "
River Deep – Mountain High" at
Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. The single failed to chart successfully in the United States, reaching No. 88 on the Hot 100. Due to popular demand, Spector released the album in the UK on
London Records in September 1966 with liner notes written by
Decca's promotion man
Tony Hall. Hall included a quote from Spector stating, "We can only assume that England is more appreciative of talent and exciting music than the U.S.". Following their chart success in Britain, they toured with
the Rolling Stones as an opening act on their
1966 UK Tour. The successful 12-date tour began at
the Royal Albert Hall on September 23 and concluded on October 9 at the
Gaumont Theatre. After the tour, the Turners performed at
California Ballroom and toured Britain's club circuit to receptive crowds at Tiles,
Ricky-Tick and the
Mojo Club. When the revue returned to the US, they were involved in a serious bus accident while on the road in
Wichita, Kansas. A few band members were hospitalized, so Turner recruited members from St. Louis to continue the tour. By 1967, the revue started to book bigger venues in the United States. They performed a series of "exclusive deals" during this period, to help increase their finances. As their careers were rising, their personal relationship was deteriorating and Tina attempted suicide before a show in 1968. The first album,
Outta Season, peaked at No. 43 on the
Billboard R&B LP's chart. It produced the duo's cover of
Otis Redding's "
I've Been Loving You Too Long", which peaked at No. 23 on the R&B singles chart. In March 1969, Ike and Tina performed at the
Grand Gala du Disque in Amsterdam. In May 1969, Ike and the Kings of Rhythm released the album ''
A Black Man's Soul'' on Pompeii Records. The album earned Ike his first solo Grammy nomination for
Best R&B Instrumental Performance at the
12th Annual Grammy Awards. In August 1969, the duo headlined at
International Hotel's Casino Theatre in
Las Vegas. In September 1969,
A&M Records reissued the album
River Deep – Mountain High, and for the first time it was issued in the US. The next month
The Hunter was released on Blue Thumb, one of their most blues-oriented albums which features
electric blues guitarist
Albert Collins. The title track, "
The Hunter", an
Albert King cover, reached No. 37 in the R&B singles chart. The album peaked at No. 47 on the R&B albums chart and earned Tina her first solo Grammy nomination for
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards. In 1969, Ike and Tina began performing at rock festivals. They performed at the
Newport Pop Festival in
Northridge, the
Seattle Pop Festival in
Woodinville, and the
Gold Rush rock music festival in
Amador County. In November 1969, Ike and Tina reportedly upstaged the Rolling Stones as the opening act on their
1969 US Tour. Tina emerged as a sex symbol and was praised for sensuality on stage. Their erotic performance of "
I've Been Loving You Too Long", filmed during a concert at
Madison Square Garden, is featured in the Rolling Stones' 1970 documentary
Gimme Shelter. During a concert at Madison Square Garden,
Janis Joplin joined the Turners on stage for an impromptu performance of "
Land of 1000 Dances." Ike and Tina added rock songs by the Rolling Stones and
the Beatles to their repertoire, which was receptive among crowds. Their new label,
Minit Records, responded by rushing the release of a studio version of "
Come Together".
1970–1976: Mainstream success '', 1970 In January 1970, Ike and Tina performed on
The Ed Sullivan Show. Their performance of "
Bold Soul Sister" propelled the single to No. 22 on the R&B chart. In March, their single "Come Together" peaked at No. 21 on the R&B chart. In April 1970, their first album on Liberty,
Come Together, was released, reaching No. 13 on the R&B albums chart. It charted higher on the
Billboard Hot 100 than the original. In July, they headlined the
Newport Jazz Festival in
Rhode Island and the
Schaefer Music Festival at New York's
Central Park. That Summer, they were featured in
the Isley Brothers concert film
''It's Your Thing'' and they filmed
Miloš Forman's
Taking Off (1971). In October 1970, they headlined the Soul Bowl at
Tulane University's
Sugar Bowl Stadium; a concert to raise money for disadvantaged minority students. Later that year, they made their first trip to Asia to perform in
Siam, China, Japan, and the
Philippines. Ike and Tina began performing
Creedence Clearwater Revival's "
Proud Mary" during their shows in 1969. Ike wasn't fond of the original version, but he liked the cover version by
Checkmates, Ltd. Set at first to a slow acoustic rendition sung softly by both Ike and Tina, the song then transformed into a frenetic rock and soul dervish led by Tina and the Ikettes. The single was released in January 1971, reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 5 on the R&B chart. It includes the duo's
social conscious title track, "
Workin' Together", "
Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter" penned by Tina's sister Alline Bullock, and notable covers such as "
Get Back" and "
Let It Be" by the Beatles. In January 1971, Ike and Tina embarked on a European tour that included dates at
Midem in
Cannes, the
Palais d'Hiver in
Lyon, and the
Olympia in Paris. Their performances received rave reviews. The conservative
Le Monde described Ike and Tina as "the voice of desire". Their concert at the Olympia was recorded and released as the album
Live In Paris. While in Paris the Turners received the French Jazz Academy Soul award. The following month the soundtrack
Soul To Soul was released which featured the Turners. The album peaked at No. 10 on the
Billboard Soul LP's chart. In May 1971, Ike and Tina were the opening act for
Johnny Mathis at
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; performing for the first time in a main showroom at the hotel. Earlier in the year Liberty Records was absorbed into
United Artists Records, where Ike and Tina would remain as a duo. Their first release for the label was the live album,
What You Hear Is What You Get, recorded during their concert at
Carnegie Hall in April 1971. It peaked at No. 25 on the
Billboard 200 and No. 7 on the R&B chart. The album was certified
Gold by the
RIAA in 1972. In July 1971, Ike and Tina filmed a concert during the Schaefer Music Festival at Central Park. It aired as
Good Vibrations from Central Park on
ABC-TV in August 1971. Also in 1971, they had a top 40 R&B hits with "
Ooh Poo Pah Doo" and "
I'm Yours (Use Me Anyway You Wanna)". Around this time, the Kings of Rhythm were renamed the Family Vibes. in Hamburg, 1972|alt=In February 1972, the Turners officially opened their recording studio,
Bolic Sound, to the public. The facilities had already been in use for Turner productions since 1970. A few months later they released the album
Feel Good. Nine out of the ten tracks on the album were written by Tina. In August, they performed at Nassau County's first major rock festival, Festival of Hope Rockfest, at
Roosevelt Raceway to benefit crippled children. In October, they performed "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was included on the album ''
Here's Johnny: Magic Moments From the Tonight Show''. The duo had moderate R&B chart success with the Tina penned "
Up in Heah" in 1972 and a cover of
Little Richard's "
Early One Morning" in 1973. The single was even more successful in Europe, reaching No. 4 in the UK and No. 1 in
Austria. It was also a top 5 hit in several other countries. On September 1, 1973, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue performed at
Monticello Raceway in
Monticello, New York, breaking the single-night attendance record with a crowd of 15,313. In 1974, the Turners received the Golden European Record Award, the first ever given, for selling more than one million records of "Nutbush City Limits" in Europe. Their follow-up singles "
Sweet Rhode Island Red" and "
Sexy Ida" did well on the R&B chart and in Europe. A few months later in September, Tina released her first solo album titled
Tina Turns the Country On!. Both albums received Grammy nominations at the
17th Annual Grammy Awards. Their gospel album was nominated for
Best Soul Gospel Performance. In February 1975, it was announced that
Gerhard Augustin, co-founder of
Beat-Club and former head of
A&R at United Artists in
Munich, became Ike and Tina's manager. He had previously co-produced a few of their singles and the album
Feel Good (1972). In 1975, Tina starred as the Acid Queen in the
rock opera film
Tommy. To capitalize off her publicity surrounding the film, a solo album by Tina was released titled
Acid Queen. The lead single "
Baby, Get It On" became the duo's last charting single together, peaking at No. 31 on the R&B chart. In September 1975, Ike and Tina were co-headliners at the Newport Pop Festival—a
March of Dimes benefit—at Orange Coast College Stadium in
Costa Mesa. In January 1976, they embarked on their second Australian concert tour. In March 1976, they headlined at the
Waldorf Astoria in New York City. They also signed a deal with
CBS-TV for nine television shows revolving around the Ike & Tina Turner Revue with the possibility of it becoming a regular series.
1976–1978: The end of the duo By 1976, Ike's
cocaine addiction had caused a hole in his
nasal septum, leading to
nosebleeds from which he would relieve himself by using more of the drug. On July 1, 1976, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue flew from Los Angeles to
Dallas, Texas where they had a gig at the
Dallas Statler Hilton, and en route to the hotel, the Turners got into a physical altercation in the car. Years later Ike claimed in his 1999 autobiography, ''
Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner'', that Tina initiated their final fight by purposely irritating him so that she would have a reason to break up with him before they were scheduled to sign their new contract. After Tina's resurgence as a solo artist in the mid-1980s, compilation albums containing unreleased material were released, including
Get Back (1985) and
Gold Empire (1985).
Get Back reached No. 189 on the
Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. In his book, he said: "Sure, I've slapped Tina. We had fights and there have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. But I never beat her." In a 1999 interview,
Roseanne Barr urged him to publicly apologize to Tina on
The Roseanne Barr Show. In 2007, Turner told
Jet that he had written Tina an apology letter, but had never sent it. In 2018, Tina told
The Sunday Times that "as an old person, I have forgiven him, but I would not work with him. He asked for one more tour with me, and I said, 'No, absolutely not.' Ike wasn't someone you could forgive and allow him back in." ==Awards and nominations==