Tina Turner, who is popularly known as “The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died at the age of 83 on Wednesday after a long illness.

A statement from Turner’s reps read, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”

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She encountered Ike Turner for the first time in the late 50s when she was 18 years old and singing at a popular R&B club in St. Louis, Missouri, with her sister Alline. Turner was performing there with his band, Kings of Rhythm. “Girl, I didn’t know you could sing!” he told her.

He offered her to become a featured vocalist in his band. Ike suggested she change her name to Tina Turner and in 1960 she was introduced to the world. The duo put out their hit, A Fool in Love.

What followed was a romance, marriage, an incredibly successful career, domestic abuse accusations, and a bitter divorce.

Also Read | Who was Ike Turner, Tina Turner’s ex-husband?

Is Ike Turner alive?

With Turner’s passing, everyone wants to know if Ike is still alive. Turner died in 2007, His autopsy and toxicology report showed he was taking Seroquel at the time of his death. In 2005, he had been diagnosed with emphysema, which required him to use an oxygen tank.

Tina had accused Ike of physically abusing her during her marriage in her autobiography after their divorce.

After recording A Fool In Love, Turner told Ike that she didn’t want to continue their relationship. He reportedly struck her in the head with a wooden shoe stretcher. Recalling that time, Turner said that the incident was the first time he “instilled fear” in her. Nevertheless, she decided to stay with him because she “really did care about him”.

She later revealed in I, Tina that Ike was abusive and promiscuous throughout their marriage, For that reason, she also attempted suicide in 1968 by overdosing on Valium pills. She said, “It was my relationship with Ike that made me most unhappy. At first, I had really been in love with him. Look what he’d done for me. But he was totally unpredictable.”

Also Read | Who are Tina Turner’s children, Ronnie Turner, Raymond Craig Turner, Ike Turner Jr, Michael Turner?

On July 27, 1976, Turner filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Her divorce petition asked for $4,000 a month in alimony, $1,000 a month in child support, and custody of her sons Craig and Ronnie. The divorce was finalized on March 29, 1978.

In his autobiography Takin’ Back My Name, Ike stated: “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.”

Some of the abuses included having hot coffee thrown in Tina’s face and breaking her jaw.

In a 2000 interview, Craig, who tragically died by suicide in 2018, said, “Ike took a lot of his anger out on her. Most of the time he’d come home and he’d take her into the bedroom and close the door and there would be the screams. And we were so petrified we were in bed with the covers over our heads. One time he was striking my mother and I was young and he’d thrown some scalding hot coffee on her. At that point in time I hated that man for the rest of my life and I’ll never forget that, never.”

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in her later life, Turner said: ” I never put a lot of praise on myself because of my relationship with Ike. I was just happy when I started to like myself—when I divorced and took control of my life.”