Ike Turner Dead at 76

The lingering hurt from their years together is evident in a statement issued by Tina's publicist. "Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made."

Drugs and a pattern of physical and emotional abuse destroyed the Turners' marriage. And while Tina blossomed into superstardom as a solo artist in the '80s, Ike became a rock and roll pariah and all-too-frequent butt of comedian's jokes. He found sobriety by the 1990s, when he began piling up career honorarium - such as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, more recently, the Hollywood Rock Walk. At the Rock Walk ceremony in 2005, he said his biggest regret from his more than 50-year career was giving the producers of Tina's bio-pic to portray him as they wished. With that opportunity, Ike said they "assassinated" his career.

Ike Turner on his 2005 induction into Hollywood's RockWalk:

"It was a just really a shock, you know. Like it was a shock when they put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You know, most times you hear about different things about a person after they die. I'm glad I got to see this happen."

Ike Turner was 76.