Tina Turner’s kids: What to know about the late singer’s 4 children
Music legend Tina Turner passed away on May 24 after a long illness at 83 years old.
Her passing came less than six months after her youngest son, Ronnie, tragically died of complications from colon cancer at age 62.
The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll shared Ronnie with her ex-husband Ike Turner, and was also a mom to three other boys.
She welcomed Raymond Craig with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill, who was later adopted by Ike. Tina’s husband changed his name to Craig Raymond Turner.
The “Proud Mary” singer also adopted two of Ike’s six children from previous relationships.
“I’ve gotta say they were good kids,” she told Larry King on “Larry King Live” in 1997.
Here’s everything you need to know about her four sons.
Craig Raymond Turner
Tina gave birth her first child, a son named Craig Raymond, when she was just 18.
She welcomed the baby with her then-boyfriend, Raymond Hill, who played saxophone in the band Kings of Rhythm.
He spent most of his life away from the spotlight, and worked as a realtor in Beverly Hills, according to his Facebook page.
Tragically, he died by suicide in 2018, which Tina said was her “saddest moment as a mother.”
“He was 59 when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby,” she said in the 2021 documentary “Tina.”
She also theorized that Craig was “lonely” when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Studio City, Calif., home.
“I think Craig was lonely, that’s what I think really got him more than anything else,” she said in a 2019 interview with “CBS This Morning.”
“I have pictures all around of him smiling, and I think I’m sensing that he’s in a good place. I really do,” she added.
Here's what to know about legendary singer Tina Turner
The “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died at 83 on Wednesday after a prolific career that spanned decades.
Tina — who was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2021 — sold more than 100 million records worldwide throughout her career, with songs including the anthemic hit “The Best” and her solo comeback single “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
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She scored her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song, which kicked off her 1980s career resurgence.
Tina was 44 at the time, making her the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100 chart.
The singer and actress had 12 total Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Ronnie Renelle Turner
Tina gave birth to her second son, Ronald “Ronnie” Renelle, in October 1960.
She shared Ronnie with her ex-husband, Ike, whom she was married to from 1962 to 1978.
He followed his musical parents into showbiz, acting alongside his mom in the 1993 film “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” which charted Tina’s rise to stardom.
Little is known about his adult life, however he wed French musician Afida Turner in 2007.
Tragedy struck again in December 2022 when his wife revealed his passing at the age of 62.
“My God, Ronnie Turner, a true angel, huge soul, highly spiritual, my husband, my best friend, my baby,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
The Turner family also confirmed his death in a statement to Page Six.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended in regards to Ronnie from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” the statement read.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner later concluded he died of complications from colon cancer,
Ike Turner Jr.
One of Ike’s two children whom Tina adopted was Ike Turner Jr.
He welcomed his eldest son in 1958 with Lorraine Taylor, however he wed Tina less than five years later.
Ike Jr. followed in his parent’s footsteps in the music industry, even winning a Grammy Award for producing his father’s album, ‘Risin’ With The Blues” in the 2006 Traditional Blues Album category.
In a 2018 interview with the Daily Mail, Ike Jr. claimed he hadn’t spoken to his mother in almost 20 years.
“Tina raised me from the age of two. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known,” he said at the time.
“I haven’t talked to my mother since God knows when – probably around 2000. I don’t think any of my brothers have talked to her in a long time either.”
Ike Sr. passed away in 2007, which Tina reflected on in her 2021 documentary.
“For a long time I did hate Ike, I have to say that. But then, after he died, I really realized that he was an ill person,” Turner said at the time, detailing how she suffered a cycle of abuse at the hands of cocaine-addicted Ike.
“It hurts to have to remember those times, but at a certain stage forgiveness takes over, forgiving means not having to hold on.”
Michael Turner
Tina also adopted Taylor’s second son, Michael, who was born in 1959.
Out of all her children, the least is known about Michael, as he never got into showbiz.
A source close to the family told Fox News he and his brother Ike were “devastated” to have been left out of their mom’s 2021 documentary.
However, it appears Michael had also been distant from his famous mother for some time.
Ike Jr. told the Daily Mail in the same 2018 article that Michael was in a “convalescent home in Southern California” and claimed he needed “medical support” but did not specify which kind.
However, Ike Jr. also pointed out at the time, “I’ve been to see him quite a few times. He’s doing great.”
He noted that Tina did not visit, adding, “All she does is send him money.”
