Ike Turner is gone. Predictably, people can’t stop talking about That Movie and about Tina. One thing I keep hearing is that, though Ike was a great musician and pioneer, all people can talk about is his abusive nature and drug habit. What a shame that is, these voices say.
I am about to say something possibly controversial: is that a shame? Really?
People who knew Ike defend him by saying: “Haven’t you ever made a mistake?” Yeah, I have, lots of them. But if my mistakes caused pain, both physical and emotional, to someone else, I don’t expect people to forgive and forget or overlook them altogether if I don’t ever apologize.
Did Ike ever apologize? Did Ike ever admit that he was in the wrong and that, perhaps, beating his wife was really not a proper thing to do? I honestly don’t know the answer to that question. I do know that he wrote a book wherein he said “I never did that thing that was in the movie” but I don’t know if he ever admitted the spousal abuse and what, if any, amends he attempted to make to the victim of his attacks. (Why yes, I am taking Tina’s words as the truth.)
If he did admit what he did, make an apology, and other such things in that direction, then yeah, I think we can then focus on the positive aspects of his life. But if he has spent all these years denying what he did and possibly going on to do it to other people, then no. I don’t give a flying fuck how much good music he made in that case. I really don’t.
I am tired of people using the “But he was a great artist” line whenever someone who is, otherwise, a despicable human being, writes a song or a book or a poem that they like. I hate to break Godwin’s Law here, but even Hitler wrote some nice poetry and drew some pretty pictures (and he was nice to animals).
Sorry about the language you’re right miss ABW has been very clear on whose side she’s on I just don’t like hypocrisy especially when there’s racism motivating it. And I have another example over holiday week-end a white former baseball player named Jim Leyritz was driving drunk and killed a young black female. Not only has the MSM completely ignored this story but that bleep-bleep only had to pay 11,000 dollars bail are you kidding me?!! He killed this woman doing a stupid,reckless act and he only has to spend the equivalent of the price of an SUV to get out of prison that’s sickening.
**note: apparently the name attached to these comments was not actually the name of the person who posted them. After an email conversation with the person who was being impersonated, I have decided to remove her name since she did not make the comments. I’m leaving the text intact only because people responded.
First, I would like to say that I do not consent to physical or Verbal abuse inflicted upon anyone! I would like to say that I come from a God fearing Mother of whom taught meto be a lady and not a punching bag! When a friend of mine asked me to work for her boss Ike Turner I told her hell NO!
She said Do not judge him before you meet him, he is not whopeople think he is; I said okay I want to see for myself and Idid just that and in the words of my mother she always said never judge a book by its cover, so I went in with and open mind and I must say I was truly impressed! Ike was the sweetest “little man” I have ever had the pleasure of knowing” I
couldn’t believe that he was the same man that was depicted in the movie? That was until we had our first argument!! I said to myself, damn he’s Bipolar! Did I bow down to him? Hell no I let him have it and a few minutes later, he appologized I Said Mr. Turner I am your Assistant and I am not Tina! So do not
talk to me like that ever again! From then on I learned that Ike was sexually abused by two neighborhood women from the age of 6 to 13 and he never received therapy for it! He HAS apologized for hurting Tina and he has cried many nights because of the pain that he has caused will he ever be forgiven? Maybe never but for the record I will always cherish the good side of Ike Turner, the Ike that fed
clothed and paid strangers rent!
**note: apparently the name attached to these comments was not actually the name of the person who posted them. After an email conversation with the person who was being impersonated, I have decided to remove her name since she did not make the comments. I’m leaving the text intact only because people responded.
For all of us so called holy Black Folks…May I ask everyone a question? What have the church taught us
about forgiving? Do we practice it ?…hmmm when I sin I ask the Lord for forgiveness. Should we forget, no! Ozzy Osborne wife was abused by him he’s a White Rock Star for those of you who don’t know but does it make him better than Ike? It wasn’t as publicized as Ike and Tina. Did Ike pay for his sin? Hell Yes he was destroyed in the United Staes he couldn’t make a dollar in the States and he was treated like shit! He asked for it because he put it out there but does that make him the devil? He had more goodness in him than bad but you would never know it unless you were to meet him and to meet him was to love him-
Firstly, I could barely make out anything that you stated because it’s a grouping of run-on sentences and grammatical errors, so forgive me if I get your stance wrong.
With that said - good people, don’t BEAT their WIVES. You may have found him to be a wonderful person - good for you. The fact still remains that he was abusive and put Tina Turner through intolerable conditions.
Should I really care that he was abused, so as a result, that makes it okay? Hardly. It is NEVER okay to abuse a woman because of what happened to you in the past.
No one here is implying that he’s the devil. At all. But what we are saying is that he should be remembered as being someone who had some serious mental problems and beat his wife, and that musical contributions pale in comparison to having any sort of humanity.
On the subject of forgiveness, I point you upthread to Anna’s comment.
**note: apparently the name attached to these comments was not actually the name of the person who posted them. After an email conversation with the person who was being impersonated, I have decided to remove her name since she did not make the comments. I’m leaving the text intact only because people responded.
Sorry if you got my stance wrong I would not pretend that English is one of my best subjects (smile) I appreciate your comment and I totally understand what you were saying I want to say once again that I do not consent to domestic violence at all I was not trying to paint a pretty picture of Ike; however, I experienced a different side of Ike the one that was reformed. Moreover, his childhood did cater to his adulthood, like a majority of minority’s we do not receive therapy for our problems our pride enables us to simply sweep it under the rug! I met and experienced the positive side of Ike and I have learned that he was a troubled man with a heart of gold and I just wanted people to know more about the goodness that he possessed”.
Well, angry black woman-you know what. He IS BOTH a musical innovator and head-beater-that *my* take! It is what it is because to paraphrase the saying “it is a thin line between genius and madness!” History is proof of that! My take is this, do not down play the abuse but don’t overlook the creativity, genius.and DEFINATELY do not downplay the creativity, genius-but don’t overlook the abuse. Simple as that as far as it goes with me.Folks in both camps-especially the pro-supporters of whoever theabusive genius is/was especially-needs to acknowledge that their role models had serious flaws that were as noticeable as their genius-and this goes for Ray Charles, R.KELLY, Beethoven, Miles Davis, and Ike Turner. I guess I am trying to say that the opposition *is* right about folks overlooking Ike’s impact on rock-n-roll which is so underrated since it was so important-*BUT*- like you-*I DO * feel that people try to cut abusive, flawed famous artistic geniuses that *they like* too much slack. They give these folks a pass that they would not an ordinary Joe for the *same* thing.
[...] by Jack Stephens on December 20, 2007 But the Angry Black Woman blogs: I am tired of people using the “But he was a great artist” line whenever someone who is, [...]
[...] Thursday, December 20, 2007 Cross-posted from The Blog and the Bullet. But the Angry Black Woman blogs: I am tired of people using the “But he was a great artist” line whenever someone who is, [...]