Ike Turner – the man who invented rock and roll but is best known for that film where Laurence Fishburne dressed up as him and punched a woman – has died.
Although no cause of death has been stated, it's thought that Ike Turner was suffering from emphysema. He was 76. Drug addict, jailbird, wife-beater and the man who made Tina Turner a star – therefore ultimately responsible for Steamy Windows – Ike Turner had a hell of a lot to answer for, but the stamp that Ike Turner left on music will be remembered forever.
OK, we're just saying that because we're scared of Ike Turner's ghost beating us up in our sleep. Really, have you seen What's Love Got To Do With It?
There's no denying that Ike Turner shaped music fundamentally. It was Ike Turner who wrote the first rock and roll song, Rocket 88. It was Ike Turner who first used distorted guitar in a recording. It's Ike Turner's songs that were sampled by hop-hop pioneers and changed the direction of that genre. Beyonce has cribbed Ike Turner's creative vision for Tina Turner wholesale. Um, and it was Ike Turner who played piano on that last Gorillaz album that you liked for a couple of weeks and then forgot you owned.
However, that's not what instantly springs to mind when you think of Ike Turner. No, the first thing that springs to mind is What's Love Got To Do With It, the Tina Turner biopic that's like watching Coyote Ugly interspersed with all the domestic abuse scenes from the Christmas Day 2001 episode of EastEnders. Laurence Fishburne's portrayal of Ike Turner was visceral enough for the world to see Ike Turner as nothing more than a drug-abusing woman-beater for the rest of his life.
So up until yesterday, basically, because that's when Ike Turner died.
It's being reported that Ike Turner died yesterday at his house in San Diego aged 76. A cause of death has yet to be identified and no other plans have been made. But what does Tina Turner make of all this? After all, her feelings towards Ike Turner must be bittersweet – although he was endlessly violent and controlling towards her, Tina was professionally never better than when she was under Ike's wing. Handily Tina Turner has put out a statement regarding Ike Turner's death, through her spokeswoman:
"Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made."
Maybe in death Ike Turner's music will be reevaluated and appraised for its undeniable influence. Maybe someone will even make a reputation-saving Ray-style biopic about Ike Turner based on his autobiography Takin' Back My Name. But probably not. He really did seem like a bit of a bastard, you know.
So let's remember Ike Turner the way that suits him best – as a booming giant disembodied head floating behind Tina Turner's back…
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