A Complicated Life and Lasting Legacy

Adopted by Tina Turner

Born in 1958 to Ike Turner Sr. and Lorraine Taylor, Ike Jr. was adopted by Tina Turner early in his life. She also adopted his brother, Michael.
“I was raised by Tina from the age of two. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known,” Ike Jr. told the Daily Mail in 2018.
However, their relationship became distant in later years. “I haven’t talked to my mother since around 2000,” he said. “I don’t think any of my brothers have either.”

Career and Achievements

From a young age, Ike Jr. followed in his parents’ musical footsteps. He started as a drummer before shifting to keyboards at Tina’s encouragement. Later, he managed Bolic Sound Studios — his father’s recording facility — and built a respected career as a sound engineer and musician.

“My father took me out of school at 13. I ended up running his recording studio and touring with them,” Ike Jr. once recalled. “They made a lot of money on the road, and I used to count it until my hands were grey.”

He went on to win a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Traditional Blues Album for Ike Turner’s Risin’ With The Blues.

Family Losses and Legacy

The Turner family has endured years of heartbreak. Craig Turner, Tina’s eldest son, died by suicide in 2018 at age 59. Ronnie Turner, her biological son with Ike, passed away in 2022 from complications of colon cancer. Just months later, Tina herself died after a long illness in 2023.

Ike Jr.’s death marks another painful chapter in the Turner family’s story — one defined by extraordinary talent, personal struggle, and lasting influence.
Though he is gone, his contributions to music and the Turner legacy will continue to be remembered.