Tina Turner did not attend the funeral of her ex-husband Ike Turner. The R&B diva did not have contract with her former husband in decades.
Following the announcement of the death of Ike last week, Tina's agent issued one short statement. It read "Tina is aware that Ike passed away. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made."The couple were married for 16 years and performed together between 1960 and 1976.
Their first single 'A Fool In Love' was an immediate hit in 1960. It reached number 2 on the American charts. In 1966, they recorded 'River Deep, Mountain High' with Phil Spector producing. The song failed to chart, reaching only number 88 in the USA, but it later became a classic as it grew in popularity over years to come.
Tina left Ike after years of abuse. In her book 'I Tina', she spoke about how she tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills, only to wake up to Ike verbally abusing her. When she suddenly walked out on him in 1976, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue came to an immediate halt.
Tina went on to become a huge solo star. Ike spent time in prison on drugs charges.
Ike Turner was buried on Thursday following a three hour service at the Greater Bethany Community Church City of Refuge in Gardena.
His band, the 8 piece Kings of Rhythm, sent the legend off with some of his greatest hits including 'Nutbush City Limits', and 'Proud Mary'.
He was laid to rest wearing a lilac suit with gold studs and had his beloved Fender Stratocaster by his side.
Mourners included Phil Spector and Little Richard, who both spoke at the funeral. Little Richard, who after becoming a rock and roll star became a preacher, asked people to remember him for his good and not questionable past. "Stop holding this mess, whatever it is, against this man. Even Jesus forgives," he said.
Phil Spector on the other hand used the moment to tear down Ike's former wife Tina, TV star Oprah Winfrey and actress Whoopi Goldberg.
The Spector warble lost the point of the eulogy and instead he made himself look bitter and twisted with no sense of reality, much like how he came across in court this year. He will again appear in court in 2008 on murder charges.
Turner died at home in San Marcos, California on December 12. He was 76.
