The world mourns the loss of the iconic Tina Turner, a true legend in the music industry. Sources confirm that the “Simply The Best” singer passed away on May 24, peacefully at her Swiss residence, after battling health issues for several years. An outpouring of tributes has flooded in for the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, shedding light on her remarkable journey, marred by numerous hardships and challenges she courageously conquered.
Tina Turner chose to sever all ties after her divorce from Ike Turner, embarking on a journey to forge a fresh start in her life. However, this decision seemed to fracture her relationship with Ike’s children, whom she had embraced as her own following her marriage to their father. Ike Turner Jr., the biological son of Ike Turner and Tina Turner’s adopted son, has since become a Grammy-winning artist and producer. Yet, his ascent to fame mirrored Tina’s tumultuous journey in many ways.
Ike Jr. was caught in the crossfire of his parents’ tumultuous relationship, as Ike Turner and Lorraine Taylor separated when he was just a child. However, when his father entered into a relationship with Tina Turner, a new maternal figure entered Ike Jr.’s life. Tina took on the role of stepmother to Ike Turner Jr. and his brother, Michael, after her marriage to their father.
Despite their father’s history of multiple marriages, Tina was the one they connected with the most, serving as a stabilizing presence in their lives. Regrettably, as history tells us, Ike and Tina’s marriage was destined to crumble, with Tina enduring years of abuse at the hands of her husband. Eventually, she mustered the courage to leave, leaving behind Ike Jr. and his siblings.
Tina’s departure was a profound loss for Ike Jr., not only because she had played a pivotal role in equipping him with the tools to follow in the footsteps of his musical parents. Ike Jr. once revealed, “My father took me out of school when I was 13,” adding that he found himself managing his father’s recording studio and accompanying them on tours. He was even entrusted with counting the tour earnings. Sources suggest that after Tina’s departure, which occurred 16 years after she had married Ike Jr.’s father, her relationship with Ike Jr. and Michael deteriorated to the point where communication ceased.
Ike Jr. recounted that the last conversation he had with his stepmother was around the year 2000, and he had doubts that his siblings had been in contact with her since. Nevertheless, Ike Jr. achieved professional success, notably producing an album for his father that won a Grammy in 2007. In 1995, Tina Turner relocated to Switzerland and subsequently became a Swiss citizen after marrying Erwin Bach in 2013. The couple acquired a residence on the picturesque shores of Lake Zurich, where they spent their later years in contentment.