Legendary singer Tina Turner‘s son, Craig Turner, 59, sadly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 3 and it sent her fans in shock. The tragic news comes after law enforcement sources told TMZ that authorities found him unresponsive when they arrived at his home in Studio City, CA just after noon and pronounced him dead at the scene. Tina is currently outside of her home in Switzerland and attending events at Paris Fashion Week but there’s been no official statement from her about her son’s heartbreaking death. Here are five things you should know about Craig.
1.) He was Tina’s first-born son. Craig was born when the singer was 18-years-old before she married Ike Turner. His biological father was a saxophonist named Raymond Hill who was actually part of Ike’s Kings of Rhythm band. Once Tina married Ike, he adopted Craig and raised him as his own.
2.) He worked as a real estate professional. His work as a realtor with Rodeo Realty in Studio City was well received. He was part of some elite organizations for his line of work, including The National Organization of Realtors as well as The California Association of Realtors, according to the company’s website.
3.) His stepfather Ike’s alleged abuse to his mother, Tina, took a toll on him. In a tell-all interview with Oprah back in 2005, Tina talked about the alleged abuse she suffered while she was with Ike and said that Craig was highly affected from it. She explained that he “was a very emotional kid.” “He’d always look down in sadness,” she said of when he watched the alleged abuse. “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.”
4.) He has one younger sibling. Craig’s half brother is Tina and Ike’s son, Ronnie Turner, 57, who is a musician and performed with his parents in the past. Tina also adopted two of Ike’s sons, Michael and Ike Turner Jr. who she raised with Craig and Ronnie.
5.) After graduating high school, he attended Santa Monica College. Craig posted a pic of himself smiling on the campus on his Facebook page and would often share moments of his life through the social media website. He didn’t appear to be married or have any children at the time of his death.
Our healing wishes go out to all those affected by Craig’s sad passing. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).