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Influential rock guitarist Ike Turner has died at the age of 76. Turner is best known for being Tina Turner’s shady husband, but he was actually quite the musical innovator. He wrote and played on what’s considered the first “rock n’ roll” record: “Rocket 88″ by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats. He was an early adopter and innovator of guitar distortion. As an A&R man for Sun Record he signed Howlin Wolf, Otis Redding, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Elmore James. After that he discovered Tina, wrote strings of hits, and became a highly-regarded session guitarist and piano player. Of course he also did time in prison for drugs, and there’s the little matter of him allegedly beating Tina, but let’s not kick a guy on the day he died.
