Tina Turner with Ike

Ike Turner Dead at 76

December 12, 2007 04:30 PM

Ike Turner, the legendary musician and former husband of Tina Turner, has died at 76.

“He did pass away this morning” at his home near San Diego, said Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner’s career, according to the Associated Press.

No other details were immediately available. TMZ.com earlier broke the news on its Web site.

Mike Blake/REUTERS/Landov

Born and raised in Clarksdale, Miss., Turner was inspired by the old blues artists and embarked on a musical career of his own in the late 1940s. He later met Anna Mae Bullock, aka Tina Turner, who would become his wife and his musical partner for many years.

The couple’s often-tempestuous relationship was detailed in Tina Turner’s biography, which was the basis for the movie What’s Love Got to Do with It?They split in the 1970s.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 1990, Turner admitted to being abusive in his marriage.

Tina Turner

“All the fights Tina and I had were about her being sad about something,” he said. “I get real emotional if you’re worrying and don’t tell me what it is. Then I can’t think about nothing else. So I’d slap her or something like that.”

Earlier this year, Turner told Jet magazine that he regretted many of his actions as a husband. “If I owe anybody an apology, that would be Tina,” he said. “I put her through hell with other women. I regret it today, but I can’t undo it.”

As for Turner’s reaction to the news of his passing, “Tina hasn t had any contact with Ike in more than 30 years. No further comment will be made,” her rep said in a statement to Access Hollywood.

Ike Turner married four times and had four children: Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia. Alongside his former wife, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

PEOPLE