Tina Turner’s Son Craig Raymond Dead At 59 In Apparent Suicide
Craig Raymond Turner, the eldest son of legendary singer Tina Turner, has passed away. He's dead of an apparent suicide at just 59 years old.
His Mother Is In Europe
A spokesperson confirmed Craig was pronounced dead shortly after noon on Tuesday. He was found in his home in Studio City, CA, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The autopsy is pending. His famous mother is yet to comment publicly on the sad news.
Iconic singer Tina was just 18 years old when she had Craig. He is the son of saxophonist Raymond Hill, who performed with Ike Turner's band Kings of Rhythm. Ike adopted Craig when he and Tina got married, back in 1962.
The deceased worked in real estate. His mother was present at the Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture fashion show in Paris just hours before Craig committed suicide. The show was part of the Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week.
The legendary singer has been living in Europe since 1995, with German husband Erwin Bach. She relinquished her American citizenship back in 2013.
A Difficult Home Environment
Tina and Ike had a publicly very problematic relationship. The singer has been open over the years about how much he abused her while they were together.
In 2005, just two years before Ike passed away, she told Oprah that the drama took a real toll on Craig, too, as a child.
"[Craig] was a very emotional kid. He'd always look down in sadness," she said of her son having witnessed the abuse against her.
Tina even noted that her eldest child tried to intervene at one stage, to help his mother.
"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 admitted.
Craig was in high school when his mother finally left Ike. Tina divorced him in 1978 and Ike died in December 2007 of a suspected drug overdose.
"Before you can really help them, you have to strengthen yourself," she has said of her ordeal.
Tina recently launched Tina, a musical based on her life, in London. The show takes a look back at her lauded 50-year career, including some of the darker moments.
The "What's Love Got to Do With It" singer is also mother to 57-year-old son Ronnie, whose biological father is Ike.
