R.I.P. Ike Turner

Ike Turner, who earned an unfortunate (though not undeserved) reputation as the poster child for domestic abuse during his turbulent years with Tina Turner, died today at the age of 76. Domestic issues aside, one cannot study Ike's body of work and not realize the true brilliance that lay underneath the troubled surface. Ike was the preeminent Soul and Blues man, responsible for ground-breaking hits such as "Rocket 88" (credited to Jackie Brentson and his Delta Cats, Ike Turner's group) as well as the good years (musically speaking) with Tina Turner, that produced hits such as "River Deep, Mountain High", "Proud Mary" and "Nutbush City Limits".
Of course, everything came to a screeching halt with the ugly breakup from Tina and the subsequent publishing of her autobiography and the making of the movie, "What's Love Got To Do With It", which had permanently scarred his reputation in the eyes of many of his fans. To this day, many regard his name as the definition of a wife batterer and domestic abuser and refuse to give him any acknowledgement for his undisputed talent as an innovator in the Rhythm and Blues musical genre.
I personally re-discovered Ike Turner by playing his later albums, "Here And Now" (2001) and "Risin' With The Blues" (2006) both of which won prestigious awards, on my Blues radio program. It was the beginning of a comeback for a man who could truly be described as a survivor in the Soul, Blues era.