From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Nov 5, 2002  6:17 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Ike Turner
 
IKE TURNER (By Shaun Mather)

Born Izear Luster Turner, Jr., 5 November 1931, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Joe Public could be forgiven for thinking that Ike Turner is the wife-beating
drug dealer who only made his name riding on the skirt-tails of Tina Turner.
And boy, is that wrong. He was there at the birth of rock'n'roll and was
playing with his whammy when Hendrix was still with his mammy.

As a youngster Ike had soaked up the delta blues and whilst still in his
teens formed the Kings of Rhythm with Jackie Brenston and Raymond
Hill and worked with Robert Nighthawk and Sonny Boy Williamson II.
On March 5, 1951, he helped make history at the Sun studios in Memphis
when the Kings of Rhythm recorded what many consider to be the first
ever rock'n'roll record, Rocket 88. Ike led the band and played some
sparkling piano, letting Jackie Brenston take the vocals and the plaudits.
For the rest of the decade Ike worked as arranger/talent scout/guitarist
etc. for a myriad of labels. Clients who benefited include Billy "The Kid"
Emerson, Howlin' Wolf (Ike plays piano on How Many More Years), Billy
Gayles (Just One More Time - superb) and virtually anyone who ventured
out of northern Mississippi. His importance can't be overlooked. If in doubt,
have a quick listen to his guitar on Johnny O'Neal's Ugly Woman cut in the
summer of '53 but unreleased at the time - the only reason being that the
hot summer sun must have played some tricks on ol' Sam's head.

In 1954 he relocated to St Louis and assumed the same role he'd had in
Memphis. In '59 he met Anna Mae Bullock and a new chapter in his life began.
She became his wife and Tina Turner and their work together as Ike & Tina
Turner saw them sky-rocket to new heights with hot and raunchy r&b. Since
their divorce Ike has been pretty much cast aside by the industry, but has
recently shown signs of finding some of the old magic. He has been active
on stage and in the recording studio, and just as importantly, his contribution
to rock music is starting to be appreciated. I like Ike.

Recommended listening:
The Kings of Rhythm featuring Ike Turner - The Sun Sessions - Varese (playing
loudly while I write this - highly recommended).
Rhythm Rockin' Blues - Ace.
Trail Blazer - Charly.
Ike & Tina Turner - Too Hot To Handle - Charly.
Book: Ike Turner with Nigel Cawthorne, Takin' Back My Name : The Confessions
Of Ike Turner. London : Virgin, 1999.