Tina Turner’s son Ike Turner Jr. has died at the age of 67, just one day after celebrating his birthday. The news was confirmed by Tina’s niece, Jacqueline Bullock, who shared a heartfelt statement expressing her grief and describing Ike Jr. as more than a cousin — “a brother” who grew up alongside her in the famed Turner household. Reports from Page Six and TMZ note that Ike Jr. died from kidney failure following years of heart-related health issues.
Remembering Ike Jr.: A Life Shaped by Music and Legacy
Ike Turner Jr., the adopted son of Tina Turner and son of Ike Turner Sr., was a musician and sound engineer who, despite living a largely private life, was deeply connected to the musical legacy of his famous parents.
He was born in 1958 to Ike Turner Sr. and Lorraine Taylor, and was adopted by Tina early in his life. Ike Jr. began his musical journey at a young age, playing piano, guitar, and bass. He was taken out of school at 13 to tour with his father, and even ran his father’s recording studio. Following the separation of his parents in 1978, he briefly worked as a sound engineer for his adoptive mother, Tina Turner, but their professional collaboration was short-lived.
While his adoptive mother went on to find massive success as a solo artist, Ike Jr. quietly carved out his own career, often in the shadow of his father. His contributions were formally recognized in 2007 when he won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for his work on his father’s album, Risin’ with the Blues. He received a second Grammy for producing and engineering an album himself.
In his later years, Ike Jr. continued to be involved in music, playing in a tribute band called The Love Thang and releasing songs like “Yes to Life.” He maintained a quiet resilience throughout his life, which was marked by significant personal losses, including the deaths of his father in 2007 and his adoptive mother in 2023.
