Ike Turner Jr., Musician and Grammy-Winning Engineer, Dies at 67

Ike Turner Jr., the musician and Grammy-winning sound engineer who grew up amid American music royalty as the son of Ike Turner Sr. and the adopted son of Tina Turner, died Saturday, Oct. 4, in Los Angeles of kidney failure. He was 67.

His death comes a little over two years after Tina Turner’s passing and adds another loss to a family whose influence helped shape rock, soul, and blues. Turner Jr. had struggled with serious heart issues in recent years and suffered a stroke in early September, according to family.

Born in 1958 to Ike Sr. and Lorraine Taylor, he was later adopted by Tina during her marriage to Ike Sr. Immersed in music from childhood, he learned multiple instruments and worked behind the scenes at Bolic Sound Studios, the recording complex founded by his father. After Tina left Ike Sr., Turner Jr. briefly served as her sound engineer before the two became estranged.

While he performed and recorded as a musician, Turner Jr. was best known for his technical work. He earned a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Traditional Blues Album as an engineer on his father’s Risin’ With the Blues.

Ike Jr. was one of four children connected to the Turner household. He was predeceased by brothers Craig (2018) and Ronnie (2022). His father, Ike Sr., died in 2007; Tina Turner died in 2023.

Family members remembered him as a gifted, industrious talent. In a statement, niece Jacqueline Bullock called him “more than a cousin… a brother,” noting there was “not an instrument he did not want to play,” and praising his evolution into a sought-after engineer.

Sister-in-law Afida Turner, Ronnie’s widow, paid tribute on social media, writing that he was “amazing” and that she was glad they spoke before his passing.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced. The family has asked for privacy.