Ike Turner Jr., Grammy-Winning Son of Tina and Ike Turner, Passes Away at 67

06 October 2025

Izear “Ike” Turner Jr., the Grammy-winning producer and musician who was raised under the extraordinary spotlight of rock and soul royalty, died on October 4, 2025, in a Los Angeles hospital after a battle with kidney failure aggravated by long-standing heart issues and a recent stroke. Born in 1958 to Ike Turner Sr. and Lorraine Taylor, he was adopted by Tina Turner after her 1962 marriage to Ike Sr., joining a family already steeped in both musical brilliance and personal turmoil.

Turner Jr. had quietly carved a life in music that echoed, rather than mirrored, his parents’ fame. He earned a Grammy in 2007 as a producer on his father’s album Risin’ With the Blues, winning in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. Throughout his career, he contributed to the legacy of the Turner name, even as tension and estrangement marked parts of his personal narrative.

In recent years, his health had become a serious concern. Reports indicate Turner Jr. suffered from chronic heart disease, and in early September he suffered a stroke that weakened his condition further. That cascade of health crises left his already fragile kidneys unable to recover.

His passing came just one day after his birthday. His death was confirmed by his cousin, Jacqueline Bullock, who described him in public statements as “more than a cousin … rather a brother,” reflecting the closeness of the Turner family bond despite its complexities.

Turner Jr.’s life was shaped early by the demands and chaos of his parents’ careers. From adolescence, he was exposed to the recording industry, often touring, learning technical skills, and absorbing the pressures of legacy. In interviews, he recalled that his father at times removed him from school and placed him in studio roles or on stage. He also spoke openly about strained relationships with family, acknowledging periods of estrangement from his mother and siblings.

In the wake of Tina Turner’s death in 2023 and the passing of other Turner siblings in prior years his death closes another chapter in a storied but turbulent family saga. Only one Turner child now survives: Michael Turner, also adopted by Tina, whose personal life has largely remained private in recent decades.

At the hospital, family, colleagues, and fans are mourning not just the end of a life but the dimming of one piece of the Turner sound machine. Turner Jr. may not have achieved his mother’s or father’s level of global stardom, but his contributions as technician, producer, and keeper of rhythm held meaning in the world of blues, soul, and heritage.

His story is one of legacy, survival, turmoil, artistry, and the weight of an inheritance that few could simply accept or escape. Turner Jr. leaves behind a body of work, a name linked to both glory and hardship, and a reminder of how the children of legends often must balance the music and the baggage in equal measure.