Mariah Carey’s ex-husband/actor, Nick Cannon, does not think it’s fair to the late Ike Turner, that he died “as a villain” in the eyes of many fans. That is the sentiment the “Wild N’ Out” host revealed in a prior interview with MadameNoire.
Ike Turner died in 2007 at 76, and while it’s true he was a helluva musician, it’s also true that his abusive reputation far outweighed his musical success. Most of us became aware of that fact, after Ike’s ex-wife/former bandmate, Tina Turner, released her biopic, “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”
Why Cannon Thinks Ike’s Getting Bad Wrap
Nick Cannon revealed why he thinks Ike’s musical impact should get more shine:
“That man passed away being a villain,” Cannon stated in his MN interview. “We have, like, villainized this dude. We don’t even give him his credit of being one of the pioneers of rock ‘n roll, for discovering the great Tina Turner. All we do is think he’s just this womanizing, just horrible villain that he was portrayed in the movie and I was just like, ‘Dang, Ike never got to tell his side of the story.’ And I’ve felt like that many times and in several relationships.”
Nick then said, that sometimes the “media be trying to ‘Ike Turner you’ and, yo, before I die, y’all not ‘gon villainize me. I’mma tell my story, dammit. I’mma turn up in this joint!”
The Tragedy Of Ike Turner Life That Most Never Knew
Speaking of Ike & Tina. We previously reported details we found out, after diggin’ into Ike’s background, in an attempt to gain some type of understanding of why the brotha was so violent. What we discovered was very interesting, yet not shocking, given Tina’s recount of the horrific abuse Ike inflicted upon her. In fact, learning of Ike’s past and his childhood traumas, actually brought clarity -but NOT justification (we think there’s a difference)- into what drove him to be so volatile toward Tina. Check out the old school facts about Ike Turner below:
Ike’s Dad Beaten In Front Of Him At 5
1. Ike Turner’s dad was a minister and was beaten by a White mob and left for dead because he looked at a Caucasian woman ‘the wrong way.’ Ike said he witnessed this trauma when he was only 5 years old. His father lived for three more years as an invalid in a tent in the family’s yard, before succumbing to his injuries.
Lost His Virginity At 6, Raped At 12
2. Ike was then introduced to sex at age 6, by a then middle-aged woman, he referred to as “Miss Boozie.” Walking past her house to school, she would invite him to help feed her chickens and then take him to bed. This continued for some years. Ike claimed not to be traumatized by this, commenting that “in those days they didn’t call it abuse, they called it fun.” In addition to “Miss Boozie,” Ike said he was later raped by two other women before he was 12 years old.
Fought His Abusive Stepdad
3. Ike’s mother eventually married a violent alcoholic, who often argued with and beat the hell outta her. After one of his parents’ fights, Ike (then a little older in age) said he knocked out his stepfather with a piece of wood. He then ran away to Memphis, where he lived rough for a few days, before returning back home. Ike reconciled with his stepfather years later, buying a house for him in the 1950s, around the time his (Ike’s) mother died.
Geesh! There’s no doubt Ike had a rough upbringing. Sure, his music was impactful – like Nick Cannon said – but Ike’s life was a walking biopic all on it’s own. There are probably many life lessons (of what and what NOT to do) to be learned from his story. Y’all agree?
