Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife
Ike Turner and
Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the
Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the
Kings of Rhythm and
backing vocalists called
the Ikettes. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit."
[2]
The duo had a string of R&B hits with their early recordings "
A Fool In Love", "
It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "
I Idolize You", "
Poor Fool", and "
Tra La La La La". The release of "
River Deep – Mountain High" in 1966, followed by a tour of the UK with
The Rolling Stones, increased their popularity in Europe. Their later works are noted for interpretive soul-infused re-arrangements of
rock songs such as "
Come Together", "
Honky Tonk Woman", and "
Proud Mary", the latter of which won them a
Grammy Award in 1972.
[3] Ike & Tina Turner received the first Golden European Record Award for their international hit "
Nutbush City Limits" in 1974.
[4] They released dozens of albums; their most successful being
Workin' Together and
Live at Carnegie Hall.
Pitchfork listed their album
River Deep – Mountain High among the best of its era. In spite of their success, Ike's cocaine addiction and a tumultuous marriage which allegedly included abusive behavior led to a high profile spilt in 1976 after Tina filed for divorce following an altercation.
Ike & Tina Turner were inducted to the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
[5] They have two singles inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame, "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Proud Mary".
[6] Rolling Stone ranked them No. 2 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
[7]