Tina Turner Outlived Two of Her Sons, and the Third Died from the Same Condition — 30 Rare Photos of the Family

Global superstar Tina Turner buried not one but two biological sons before her own death… and now, in a chilling twist, a third son has died, taken by the same deadly condition that ravaged Tina in her final years. A set of rarely seen family photographs now pulls back the curtain on the pain she carried.

For more than six decades, Tina Turner ruled the stage. But behind the sequins and stadiums, she was a mother of four: two biological sons, Craig and Ronnie, and two adopted sons, Ike Jr. and Michael, from her marriage to the volatile Ike Turner. All were raised under the same roof during Tina's most turbulent years.

Though her music lives on, her family story unraveled. Tina outlived both Craig and Ronnie — and on October 5, 2025, her adopted son Ike Jr. died from the same condition Tina herself publicly battled.

The following family photos accompany each part of this story, offering a glimpse into the lives of the children she raised, loved, and, in some cases, grieved.

1. Craig Raymond Turner

Tina was just 18 years old when she gave birth to her first son, Craig Raymond Turner, in 1958. Craig's biological father, Raymond Hill, was a saxophonist in Ike's band.

After Tina married Ike, the Kings of Rhythm frontman legally adopted Craig, raising him alongside his half-brothers in the Turner household.

Craig didn't follow his parents into music. Instead, he became a real estate agent in California. By mid‑2018, his life seemed to be on track: a new job, a new relationship, and plans to introduce his girlfriend to his mother at his upcoming birthday celebration.

He was living in an apartment that Tina had bought for him years earlier and had recently redecorated. But on July 3, 2018, Craig was found dead in his Studio City home, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 59. Three weeks later, Tina posted a devastating tribute after saying goodbye to her son.

It read, "My saddest moment as a mother. On Thursday, July 19, 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California. He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby."

Later that year, she opened up to BBC News, admitting she was still searching for answers. "I still don't know what took him to the edge," she said, reflecting on how different their last conversations had felt in hindsight.

2. Ronald 'Ronnie' Turner

Ronnie Turner was the only biological child born to Tina and Ike — raised in the shadows of two famous parents. In the mid-1980s, he relocated to Texas, attempting to distance himself from the drug culture of California.

In a 1986 Rolling Stone profile, Tina revealed she had once cut him off financially, hoping it would force him to become independent. "But I always had a string to find out what was going on and to get money there to help him if he needed it," she explained.

Eventually, Ronnie reached back out to her with remorse. Tina shared, "He made all kinds of apologies for all the frustration he caused me. He wanted his mother back. I said, 'Then you have to earn it.' And he has." Months later, she furnished his home and helped him rebuild his life.

But on the morning of December 8, 2022, disaster struck. A 911 call was placed from outside Ronnie's home in Encino. He had reportedly been struggling to breathe — and then suddenly stopped. Paramedics arrived and attempted CPR, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 62.

The next day, Tina posted a brief but gutting farewell to her son on Instagram — a simple black-and-white portrait of herself with her eyes closed in grief. The caption read, "Ronnie, you left the world far too early. In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son."

3. Ike Turner Jr.

Ike Turner Jr. was born in 1958 to Lorraine Taylor and Ike. After Tina married Ike Sr., she adopted Ike Jr. and raised him alongside his brothers. Like his father — and his famous stepmother — Ike Jr. pursued a music career. But over the years, his connection to Tina became distant, strained, and marked by silence.

In a past interview, Ike Jr. spoke openly about their fractured relationship and his attempts to reach her. "I've tried to call my mother at her management's offices. They take a message. I've called a good 10–15 times, but I've never heard from her," he revealed. "I don't know why she hasn't called. I love her; she brought me up, she's my mother."

He continued, "It kind of feels like she's neglecting us, at least us three, me, Michael, and Ronnie. I talk to Ronnie all the time, and he doesn't hear from her. It's to the point now where we’re always wondering, 'Where is she?'"

Reflecting on their most recent interaction, he added, "I got a book from her last Christmas. I feel that now that she has her stuff together, she doesn't really think about none of us."

On Saturday, October 5, 2025, Ike Jr. died in a Los Angeles hospital from kidney failure. He was 67. According to Tina's niece, Jacqueline Bullock, he had also suffered from severe heart issues and had recently experienced a stroke in early September.

Years earlier, Tina had spoken about her own life-threatening battle with kidney disease. On March 9, 2023, she posted on Instagram for World Kidney Day.

She wrote, "Today is International World Kidney Day. Why is it important? Because kidneys fail without pain. And that's why I'm telling you today: Show your kidneys love! They deserve it." In the same post, she admitted to past mistakes.

She continued, "My kidneys are victims of my not realising that my high blood pressure should have been treated with conventional medicine. I have put myself in great danger by refusing to face the reality that I need daily, lifelong therapy with medication."

4. Michael Turner

Michael Turner was one of Ike's two sons from a previous relationship. He was raised in the same household as Craig, Ronnie, and Ike Jr., and though Tina adopted and helped raise him during her marriage to Ike, their relationship would later fracture.

In a 1985 interview with SPIN, Ike Sr. described how his son Michael once tried to reconnect with Tina. "Michael once tried to physically take me out of the studio to take him to see Tina," he said. "He desperately wanted to see her, so he went to her house to bring her back to me, and she put him in a nut house."

Ike Jr. echoed the story and defended his brother. "Michael wanted my mother and father to get back together, and the next thing I knew, he was in the hospital," he shared. "He was hurt by their being apart. I didn't think he was crazy. They kept him in this place [for] a long time. I thought he was normal. I don't know why she did that."

At the time, Ike Sr. also claimed that the boys had no direct access to Tina. "The kids can't even go to see her. They don't have her phone number. They have to talk to her sister, Eileen. Tina won't even talk to them," he said.

In the years that followed, Michael disappeared from public view. Almost nothing is known about his adult life. But what remains are rarely seen photographs — a record of the years he spent growing up in the Turner household, before the silence set in.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.