Ike Turner, godfather of rock and roll, raw R&B legend, and half of the most notoriously combative duo in rock history, has died at the age of 76 in San Marcos, CA.

The r&b and rock icon got his start as a roadie of sorts for blues legends in his hometown of Clarksdale, MS, then migrated to Memphis, where he cut the legendary song "Rocket 88" for Sam Phillips, later of Sun Records. In recent years, the song -- credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats but actually written by Turner and performed by his "Kings of Rhythm" band -- has surpassed Elvis' "That's All Right Mama" in the mind of many critics as the first true rock and roll recording.

After that, he gigged around St. Louis and scouted acts for labels, but it was in 1958, when an eighteen-year-old girl named Anna Mae Bullock grabbed the mic at a Turner show and began singing, that Ike found his greatest success. Rechristening her Tina Turner, the couple cut "A Fool In Love" in 1960, regarded as one of R&B's greatest songs, and steadily grew in fame throughout the decade, becoming a favorite of hippie soul scenesters. The marriage grew worse as the act became more successful, however, and Ike's abuse of Tina was well documented after she made her astonishing mid-Eighties comeback.

Though viewed as a villain by many, Ike himself fought back from his own drug addiction and a resultant stint in prison to enjoy a career renaissance as a straight bluesman, winning last year's Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album for his CD "Risin' With The Blues." Turner died in his sleep at his home on the morning of December 12 from emphysema-related causes; Tina, supposedly in Zurich, Switzerland, opted not to comment, though Ike's widow, Jeanette, has asked for Tina's forgiveness.