Ch-Ch-Changes: Ike Turner (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) just passed away. I happened to be lucky enough to see the Ike & Tina Turner Revue at the University of Utah in 1971. Tina was fabulous, the Ikettes were superb, and the horn-heavy band was tight and thrilling to hear. Ike was one powerful bandleader, and he played a clean rhythm guitar that night while a young man who strongly resembled Matt (Guitar) Murphy played bluesy leads to one side. Ike Turner was a small, but INTENSE man who radiated pure presence from near-center stage. When he sang, he sang very well.
Lawrence Fishburne's portrayal of him in the Tina Turner bio-pic What's Love Got To Do With It may not have been physically correct, since the actor is much bigger, but Fishburne captured Turner's smouldering intensity right enough! Read the Wikipedia about him, for a start. There was more to him than his faults -- which adds up to a whole hell of a lot to say.

From the TIMES: Tina Turner declined to comment on her former husband’s death. “Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made,” said her spokeswoman, Michele Schweitzer.