How many children does Tina Turner have? Sadly, two of Tina Turner’s kids died in the singer’s lifetime.
Music legend Tina Turner has been a force in Hollywood for her impeccable vocals and timeless songs for decades. When anyone thinks of Tina, they probably automatically think of her famous tracks “Proud Mary” or “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Or maybe her lively hairstyles and sparkly outfits come to mind! But one wouldn’t just think of her personal life right away as she’s been a bit private when it comes to that side of her.
If you didn’t know, the singer has been married twice and she has four kids — two of them are her biological ones and the other two are adopted. Unfortunately, Tina and her family have endured two devastating losses. Keep reading to learn current details about Tina’s kids and family life.
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Who are Tina Turner’s kids?
Tina had her first child when she was 18 with Raymond Hill, a saxophonist for the band Kings of Rhythm. His name was Craig, and he was born in 1958. But, sadly, in 2018, Craig died by suicide. He was only 59 years old. A Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner spokesperson told People that Tina’s eldest was pronounced dead after being found in his Studio City, Calif., home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Craig was the only son she had with Raymond. Though, just a few years after the birth of her oldest son, she started seeing another member of the Kings of Rhythm band — Ike Turner (the frontman of the group) — and she had her second kid with him, Ronnie Turner. Two years after Ronnie was born, Tina and Ike got married. Once they became husband and wife, the musicians adopted each other’s kids from previous relationships. Ike had two sons, Ike Jr. and Michael.
Ronnie was born in 1960 and made his on-screen debut in his mother’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It” music video in 1993. In 2007, he tied the knot with French singer Afida Turner. Afida and Ronnie had a close relationship with Tina and often played with Tina at her shows. Throughout his life, Ronnie continued growing his music career with songs like “Chuck’s Back” and “Cough and Drop.”
Sadly, the artist died on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
According to TMZ, law enforcement officials answered a 911 call from someone concerned about Ronnie’s well-being. The caller found Ronnie outside of his house, struggling to breathe. When the paramedics arrived at the San Fernando Valley, Calif., home, Ronnie had completely stopped breathing. After several attempts to revive him, Ronnie was pronounced dead on the scene at age 62.
Ronnie’s official cause of death was complications of metastatic colon carcinoma, also known as colon cancer, per Today. The LA County Coroner’s Office added that Ronnie developed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease before he died, a condition that can make the artery walls harder and stop blood from flowing to the heart.
Ronnie was Tina’s second biological child and died just four years after his big brother, Craig. Upon the news of Ronnie’s death, Tina took to Instagram to pay tribute to her son. “Ronnie, you left the world far too early,” the singer wrote. “In sorrow, I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son.”
Tina and Ike’s other sons have typically stayed away from the public. However, like his mother and father, Ike Jr. seemed to go the musical route. And less than five years ago, the son of Tina and Ike formed a band called The Love Thang alongside artist Sweet Randi Love. They released their first single as a group in 2017 called “Freaky!” As for Michael, there isn’t much information about him as he hasn’t been in the spotlight, but we hope he’s doing well.
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Tina and Ike divorced in the ’70s.
After being married for almost 20 years, the two were legally separated in 1978. Tina had initially filed, citing “irreconcilable differences.” But in her autobiography — I, Tina: My Life Story — she opened up about Ike being an abusive partner.
In an interview with Oprah in 2005, she talked about how her son Craig had witnessed the abuse and was definitely affected by it.
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“One day when Ike was fighting me, Craig knocked on the door and said, ‘Mother, are you all right?’ I thought, ‘Oh, please, don’t beat me at home.’ I didn’t want my children to hear,” she revealed to Oprah. Tina also mentioned that Craig “was a very emotional kid.”
Tina’s ex-husband died in 2007 of a cocaine overdose. She got married again in 2013 to Erwin Bach, who is 16 years younger than her. They started dating in 1986, shortly after her first marriage with Ike.
