Turner was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on November 5, 1931, to Beatrice Cushenberry, a seamstress, and Izear Luster Turner, a Baptist minister. Ike got his first taste the music business at the age of eight, helping the DJ at a local Clarksdale radio station, WROX.
Turner was soon carrying amplifiers for blues singer Robert Nighthawk, who often played live on WROX. Growing up, Turner's idol Pinetop Perkins helped teach the young Ike to play boogie-woogie on the piano. Ike soon was enamored of other blues artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Charley Booker, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Little Walter.
Ike Turner's actual music career began in earnest in the late-1940s where he formed a group he christened Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm. In 1951, the band recorded what some historians have called "the first rock and roll record" with "Rocket 88", credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (this band did not actually exist). Brenston was both the band's saxophonist and the lead vocalist of the song, and on the original Chess release was listed as the song's writer. "Rocket 88" was produced at Sun Studio in Memphis by Sam Phillips. The record was one of the first examples of guitar distortion, which happened by accident when one of the amplifiers was dropped before the recording.
Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm settled into local fame in St. Louis where the band locally recorded for a St. Louis label and even appeared on local television shows. Throughout this early period, Turner became a recording scout and A&R man for independent record companies including Sun Records, helping the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James and Otis Rush get signed. He also became a sideman playing guitar for these blues acts and more. Musically, Turner was known for his hard-hitting guitar style. He was known to put the whammy bar of his Fender Stratocaster to frequent use.
Turner's music career changed drastically after meeting a teenage singer from Nutbush, Tennessee, named Anna Mae Bullock, who demandingly grabbed a microphone during a singing session at one of St. Louis' nightspots and sang a B.B. King song in her now-trademark throated raspy vocals. Bullock's performance impressed Ike so much he allowed Anna to join his band as a background singer. However within a year, Ike's plans for Bullock changed after Anna recorded what he originally stated was a demo for a song that was to be sung by a male vocalist. After hearing her vocals, he let it be released under an independent label and in the process changed the name of the singer from Anna Mae Bullock to Tina Turner - naming her after Sheena - and the name of the band to the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. It is believed that this singular act is what propelled Tina Turner into the spotlight. "A Fool in Love" became a national hit in early 1960, reaching the top three in the R&B charts and becoming a top thirty pop hit in the process. From then until 1976, Ike & Tina Turner became one of the most explosive duos in rock & soul music.
After Tina abruptly left Ike after a violent altercation in 1976, Ike lost ground in the national music market. As a solo artist, he struggled to find success after Tina and after releasing two failed solo albums, had found himself facing drug and weapons charges, of which he was convicted in 1989.
When Ike was released from prison in 1993, he was met at the prison gate by Jeanette Bazzell who later became his wife. Jeanette was instrumental in helping Ike rebuild his career. She replaced Tina as Ike's lead singer and eventually they toured the world playing many blues festivals. After the intense negative publicity generated against him as a wife abuser by Tina's movie, "What's Love Got to Do with It", Ike's acceptance in the USA as a legendary blues artist and composer was limited, though better in other countries. During this time he recorded two solo albums in his own studio, and he wrote his autobiography called Taking Back My Name. He also re-recorded "I'm Blue" in a duet style with Billy Rogers. The remake received strong reviews from Billboard Magazine.
Ike was back on the road and back into recording music, which continued until his death. In 2001, Ike released the Grammy-nominated Here & Now album. In 2005, he appeared on the Gorillaz' album, Demon Days, playing piano on the track, "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead". In 2007, Ike won his first solo Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category for the album, Risin' With the Blues. Shortly before his death, a collaboration between Turner and The Black Keys was planned, but the project would never be completed, .
Turner died on December 12, 2007 at 76 years of age at his home in San Marcos, California, near San Diego. Little Richard was asked by the family to speak at the funeral. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Turner died from a cocaine overdose complicated by "[...] other significant conditions, such as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema."
I Miss You So
Ike Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have to go
You had my love
Oh bare yourself
But i believe
You got someone there
I gave you my heart
My heart in so
You have to go
Oh please come back
I love you so
Right me again
I will do right
We won′t have two
Oh bus in bike
Oh please drive me
Just one more night
I miss you so
You have to go
You had my love
Oh bare yourself
But i believe
You got someone there
"I Miss You So" is a song by Ike Turner, first released in 1950. The lyrics express the emotions of a person who is deeply in love with someone else who has left them. The singer acknowledges that their lover has moved on and is with someone else, but they can't help how they feel and miss them terribly. Despite the pain, the singer still hopes for a chance to make things right and win back their love. The lyrics are relatable and touching, tapping into the raw emotions of heartbreak and unrequited love.
The song has a slow and melancholic rhythm infused with a bluesy feel, which suits the theme perfectly. The use of words and the overall mood of the song evoke a sense of yearning for love, even when it's lost. The lyrics "you had my love, oh bare yourself, but I believe you got someone there" reveal the singer's struggle to accept the fact that the person they love has moved on. However, they still express their deep love and desire for one more chance to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
I miss you so
I long for your company so much
You have to go
You must leave
You had my love
I gave you all my affection
Oh bare yourself
Reveal your innermost feelings
But I believe
However, I think
You got someone there
You have found a new lover
I gave you my heart
I entrusted you with my love
My heart in so
My heart is hurting
But yes in still
Yet I still believe
You have to go
You must leave
Oh please come back
Return to me, I implore you
I love you so
I am deeply in love with you
Right me again
Correct my mistakes once more
I will do right
I will do better
We won't have two
We cannot have two separate loves
Oh bus in bike
Alternate modes of transportation
Oh please drive me
Take me with you
Just one more night
Spend one last night with me
I miss you so
I long for your company so much
You have to go
You must leave
You had my love
I gave you all my affection
Oh bare yourself
Reveal your innermost feelings
But I believe
However, I think
You got someone there
You have found a new lover
Writer(s): Turner, Taub
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.