Ike Turner

Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with his wife Tina Turner as the leader of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Turner began playing piano in childhood and formed the Kings of Rhythm as a teenager.

His first recording, "Rocket 88", credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, is widely regarded as a contender for the first rock and roll song. During the 1950s, Turner taught himself to play guitar and worked as a talent scout and producer for Sun Records and Modern Records, playing a key role in the early careers of several blues musicians, including B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Bobby Bland.