That’s a direct quote from Ike Turner's autobiography. By now everyone knows Ike Turner died at the age of 76. I’ve read numerous articles that credit him with leading the metamorphous of R&B and Blues into Rock and Roll. There is no shortage of accolades or credits for his achievements in the music business and the role he played. But that’s not what he will be remembered for.
Ike will be remembered for his absence at the 1991 induction of Ike and Tina Turner into the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He was in prison serving a couple of years on a coke conviction. He will be remembered for being bitter and pissed at the world that gave him less credit than Tina for their shared success and achievements. Mostly he will be remembered for being the guy who repeatedly, bullied, beat and raped his wife, while carrying on numerous affairs and fathering countless children with women other than Tina.
If you google Ike Turner you will be hard pressed to find a single article that doesn’t mention his violent nature toward women or more specifically toward Tina Turner. Other than his own web page you wont find much sympathy or any sorrow in his passing. Even his Obits focus on his misdeeds as much or more than his accomplishments.
I have no way of knowing if Ike had regrets or guilt for being a complete douche bag and all around bad guy. With comments like the one pulled from his book, and the title of this post, I doubt he felt he did anything wrong. I’ve always been curious how men who abuse women are able to justify or lessen the gravity of what they have done , at least in their own minds. Guys like Ike tend to liken beating a woman with swatting a dog or spanking a child.
Maybe if he would have tried to make amends later in life or showed some real remorse, maybe then history wouldn’t be so critical and unsympathetic over his passing. But he didn’t really address the issues other than attempting to down play the past by making ridiculous statements like the quote above.
In my mind the world is better off without Ike Turner and guys like him. Its not a big loss and he wont be missed. Fuck him and anyone that thinks or acts like him. I honestly believe that is the message being conveyed in the absence of any actual sentiment or grief in the many obits and articles on his life and passing. Its a fitting tribute.
I think there are two schools of thought on this:one is separating the artist and the art and the other one is not. There are countless examples starting with a Chiefs' touchdown song written by a child molester or Hitler's favorite composer Wagner,or Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, etc. I think I belong to the former. Many artists that I like turned out to be scumbags,should I just start disliking their art? In my younger years if a celebrity left USSR everything related to this person was totally expunged from the record. And if they actually starred in a movie and there was no way to edit it out they just shelved the whole movie.
ReplyDeleteI agree that his personal life does not diminish his accomplishments, but it overshadows anything productive he may have done and rightfully so, at least in my opinion.
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