What's Love Got To Do With It

Thursday, December 13, 2007
By VeTalle Fusilier

We all know the stories and saw the movie and love Tina, her triumphant struggle to freedom, and subsequent success and personal peace.  But, let’s not forget the man who made the first rock and roll record, Rocket 88, with its never before heard  guitar sound because of a broken amp in the studio.

Ike Turner, like most of us, had his good and bad sides.  And how much coke and anger led to his tortured days and nights?  And if he could have been Elvis, would he have won an Image Award?  Not to make excuses, it’s obvious, he had issues.  How could you drive Tina Turner from your bed?

But some flashlights shine, despite a broken lens.  And the blues is our painful song, and Ike sang it well.  He may have started rock and roll and he won a Grammy just this year for best traditional blues album.  Traditional blues, he sang it, he lived it.

Vengeance is the Lord’s, the good book says.  But let forgiveness be ours.  Big wheels keep on turnin, Proud Mary keeps on burnin.  Rest your soul, bluesman.  Both your art and your pain are over.

VeTalle Fusilier is a producer and writer based in Washington, DC. It's pronounced VEE-tal few-suh-LEER.