Ike Turner quotes

Ike Turner was an influential American musician, bandleader, and songwriter, widely recognized as a pioneer of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. His energetic performances and musical innovations helped shape the early sound of these genres. He left a complex legacy, both for his musical achievements and his turbulent personal life. Here are 21 of his quotes:

Either accept people for what they are, or don't. So, in other words, man, if people don't know me, I think they do themself an injustice. Because, as a whole, I think I'm a good person. (Ike Turner)
I always considered myself being an organizer. I'm very good at teaching singers, I'm very good at staging a show, to entertain people. But I never included myself. I never applied this to me as an artist. View quote
Ike Turner
Walt Disney got away with portraying me in the light that they were portraying me in. I have always been a fighter, so... But I have no regrets, man. It's just like God brought me through the drugs, I know he'll bring me through this. View quote
Ike Turner
I'm not gonna try to defend, or undo what's been done. All I could say about whatever's been done, it's been done, and it's water under the bridge. I have no regrets of my life. View quote
Ike Turner
I can put a hip-hop beat to reggae. That is, I can have real reggae in the drums and in the rhythm, and on top of it I can put The Rolling Stones' feeling, anyone's feeling on top. Nobody has ever done this before, man. View quote
Ike Turner
I believe I was ahead of my time. View quote
Ike Turner
They have all different names for music. I think the music I'm going to change the style with is going to be really, really big-years and years after I'm gone. View quote
Ike Turner
I still play Strat, I don't know nothing else. Strats and Telecasters. View quote
Ike Turner
I really enjoy myself in Norway. Because I had started losing confidence in my ability of what I do. But sometimes, man, you just get tired of fighting and trying to prove yourself. View quote
Ike Turner
They used to say it was bad for Indians to drink, but it's bad for anybody. When they drink they lose their cool, a lot of us. Like when we played with Sonny Boy, I would never get paid, you know. He would drink up all the money. View quote
Ike Turner
I'm very fast on teaching guys. Like, when I came over here, I only had two rehearsals with the band. I wondered when I first got here... but it sure came up great. (Ike Turner)
I miss riding those fast trains in Japan... 'cause I'd never seen a train that fast in my life. View quote
Ike Turner
They would come down in Mississippi, they hired me as a talent scout. And I would go all over Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and find out different artists for them. View quote
Ike Turner
I'm just beginning to develop callouses on my fingers, because I haven't played a lot. View quote
Ike Turner
In China, when you get to the airport everyone be talking in American slang. View quote
Ike Turner
I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or without a movie. And behind all the negative press behind this movie. View quote
Ike Turner
They'll probably start working on my movie sometime... They are doing a complete movie of my life story. It will not be based on any negativity. It will be more about my life, from a kid, how I came up and why I came through. View quote
Ike Turner
In those days, man, in the '50s, black people in the South... We didn't recognize contracts that much. And we didn't recognize marriages that much, either. View quote
Ike Turner
I wanna record these girls individually. And then, I wanna cut a blues album on me. But all of it, original stuff, you know. When I listen to the blues today, it's like they all sounds similar. I wanna do something different, to try to add to the blues flavor. View quote
Ike Turner
Spector is a good guy, but he's a nut. Ha, ha, ha! You know, I love him, but he's unpredictable. He's OK as long as he don't drink. View quote
Ike Turner
When you think of blues, all you think about is crying guitar like B.B. King's guitar. You think about someone crying that their woman's gone. And how bad life is and all that. Why can't it be something happy with the blues Why can't it have a hip-hop beat to which you can do the dances of today. (Ike Turner)

Ike Turner

Ike Turner - Image
Photo: Masahiro Sumori, CC BY-SA 2.5
Occupation: American Musician
Born: November 5, 1931
Died: December 12, 2007
Quotes count: 21