Born in Mississippi in 1931, Ike Turner was initially excited by the piano and began taking notice of local radio where old Specialty and King records got airings. By the start of the 50s he and his friends had begun to assemble the Kings Of Rhythm, essentially playing jukebox hits. B.B. King pointed them towards Sam Phillips in Memphis where in 1951 they cut ‘Rocket 88’, issued in the name of sax player Jackie Brenston. Taking his cue from Gatemouth Brown, Ike switched to guitar. The ensuing years found him cutting tracks for Modern/RPM and backing up many other artists. Work for the Federal and Sue labels followed, by which time Tina Turner was on board for hits such as ‘A Fool In Love’ and ‘It’s Gonna Work Out Fine’. The group worked on the road extensively, with Ike recording around the country as they went.

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