Ike Turner

...passed away at his home near San Diego tonight at the age of 76. The cause of his death was not immediately known.

Ike Turner is best known for his association with his musical partner and former wife Tina, with whom he recorded "Proud Mary," in a version which, despite being perfectly dreadful in its treatment of the subject matter -- I mean, who the hell jumps around like that when they're rollin' on the river anyway??? -- and butchered even further over the years at countless wedding receptions, was actually done much better by its originators, Credence Clearwater Revival. Oh, and Ike supposedly used to knock Tina around, a claim he denied (in a roundabout way) to the end. But she made a movie of it before he could. C'est la vie.

But according to The London Times, "Turner is often credited with recording the first rock'n'roll track: Rocket 88, released in 1951, featured one of the earliest examples of guitar distortion. His amplifier had been damaged by rain after he left it in a car overnight."

Seems his luck wasn't always bad after all. May God have mercy on him.
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