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just heard on the radio ? that he passed today

Discovered Tina and gave us some of the funkiest sounds out there... bp

....in 1951, he gave us what some consider the first "rock and roll" hit with "Rocket 88". I've also heard his tenaciousness and willingness to play anywhere he thought he could draw compared to early dragster match racers like the Frantic Four and Tony Nancy. The glory days of R&B and indie TF operations both shared similar business challanges...and I salute both for being able to innovate under such pressure....

Rest , Ike
Life was interesting ......

Out of my entire record album collection, there are about 12 albums that I truly treasure. One of these is a record that was made at Sun Records in Memphis in 1956. The group is The Prisonaires, a vocal quintet that was formed by convicts doing hard time at the Tennessee State Penitentiary with the Warden and Governor Frank Clement's blessing. They were an opening act for Elvis in his post-Louisiana Hayride/ Pre-RCA skyrocket-to-success barnstorming days. I consider this record to be a major "find" for a number of reasons...first, the soaring vocals...passionate beyond anything I've ever heard this side of Jackie Wilson, the clarity, crispness and immediacy of the overall production (the album has a unique sound to it, like they're right here in the room with you), the intricate yet primitive rhythyms, ballads, spirituals and boogies that are all over both sides of the record, but what gripped me deeper than the glossy performances of the vocal group was the quality, cohesiveness and accuracy of the band backing them up...which I learned was Ike Turner and his band, with Ike on piano...he delivered an outstanding performance behind these guys...I was just lucky to have been where I was when I acquired the record. Unlike others in his peer group such as David Ruffin and Marvin Gaye, Ike Turner lived to regret his mistakes, and he said so. He was well on in life before he got a grip on his demons, which beset him in his youth as a byproduct of urban rootlessness and as it was and still is with so many disadvantaged kids, it carried over into his adulthood. However, I believe that now more than ever, Ike Turner's art and his contributions to our culture deserve another, unbiased and unprejudiced look. His music towers above his well-documented shortcomings as a man. He leaves us with a checkered legacy, splattered with dirt and scandal in his personal life, but his recorded musical output including this obscure record has proven to me that he was undeniably one of the most supremely talented, naturally gifted musicians of the 20th century. Thanks, Ike. You can rest in peace at last. WC1

Amazing. That's the kind of stuff I come here to read! Thanks, Cat, and everyone... bp

Again great reading WC... here in St.Louis there has been a lot of coverage of his early days... including a lot of his gigs at Club Imperial.. I actually played on the same stage with JTP and my cousins once for a big wedding reception on that historic stage ... loading in and out via a fire escape but a great memory

..Cat,

I am publically challenging you to send that eulogy to "Living Blues" magazine. I like their writing, but you're....better. We're blessed to have you around...

I agree... amazing stuff. bp