The Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in

Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19th century when he establishe ...

and led by

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has undergone considerable line-up changes over time. The group was an offshoot of a large big band ensemble called the Tophatters. By the late 1940s, Turner had renamed this group the Kings of Rhythm. Their early stage performances consisted largely of covers of popular

jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons, with letters and numbers on them, which are used to sele ...

hits of the day. In 1951, Turner and his Kings of Rhythm recorded the song " Rocket 88" (credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats)," which is a contender for the first rock and roll record. The song is inducted into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1 ...

, the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles. In the 1960s, the Kings of Rhythm became the band for the

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing voca ...

Revue. For a few years in the early 1970s they were renamed the Family Vibes, and released two albums under that name. After the disbanding of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1976, Turner revived the Kings of Rhythm in 2001 and released the Grammy-nominated album ''Here And Now''. The Kings of Rhythm backed Turner on his Grammy-winning album ''Risin' With The Blues'' (2006). After Turner died in 2007, the band for some time was under the leadership of pianist Ernest Lane, who was a childhood friend of Turner's. The Kings of Rhythm continue to perform with vocalist Earl Thomas.

Career

Formation: The Tophatters

As a teenager,

joined a large rhythm ensemble in

called the Tophatters, which included musicians Raymond Hill, Eugene Fox, and Clayton Love. They performed at local dances, playing

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

arrangements from

sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed books or pamphlets in English, ...

. At one point the Tophatters had over 30 members, and eventually split into two, with one act who wanted to carry on playing dance band

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

calling themselves the Dukes of Swing and the other, led by Turner becoming the Kings of Rhythm. A rivalry between the two former factions of the Tophatters lasted for some time, with the two staging an open air 'battle-of-the-bands' where they played from atop two

flatbed truck A flatbed truck (or flatbed lorry in British English) is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, its bodywork is just an entirely flat, level 'bed' with no sides or roof. This allows for quick and easy loa ...

s every fortnight.

1940s: Early years

The Kings of Rhythm had a regular Wednesday night residency at Clarksdale's Harlem Theater. This got them bookings around the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yaz ...

region. Their early stage performances consisted largely of covers of popular jukebox hits. In March 1951 whilst driving between gigs, the Kings of Rhythm dropped in on a B.B. King club date in Chambers, Mississippi. Turner persuaded King to let the band sit in and play a number with him. King contests this, remembering that it was only Turner who sat in with his band. They were well received and the club owner booked them for a weekend residency, whilst King recommended them to

Sam Philips Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, C ...

at Sun Studios in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

. In the 1950s, The Kings received regular airplay from live sessions on Clarksdale

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

WROX-AM, at the behest of DJ Early Wright. The band would sometimes play a session that lasted an hour.

1951: "Rocket 88"

Sam Phillips invited the Kings of Rhythm down to Memphis to record at Sun Studios, and the group had to devise an original song at short notice for the session. The saxophonist, Jackie Brenston, suggested a song about the new Rocket 88

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it pro ...

. Turner worked out the arrangement and the piano introduction and the band collaborated on the rest with Brenston on vocals. " Rocket 88" came out with the group erroneously credited as Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, instead of Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm featuring Jackie Brenston. The single went on to sell half a million copies, reaching the top of the ''Billboard'' R&B charts in June 1951. The success of the record caused divisions within the group, with Brenston believing he was now the star and should front the group, and Turner and Raymond Hill bitter that they had received little recognition or recompense for writing and recording a hit record. Turner and the band were only paid $20 each for the record, with the exception of Brenston who sold the rights to Phillips for $910. The group's regular singer, Johnny O'Neal, had left prior to the recording of "Rocket 88" to sign a contract with King Records, but Turner still refused to allow Brenston to take over as singer. Following the success of the record, Brenston was convinced he was the star of the group and left to pursue a solo career. This caused the group to fall apart with some members backing Brenston on the road. However Turner held onto the name and soon reformed the Kings of Rhythm with a new line-up.

1952–1954: Sun/Modern Records

Between 1952 and 1954, Turner became a session musician and production assistant for Sam Philips at

Sun Records Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny ...

and the

Bihari brothers The Bihari brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American businessmen of Hungarian Jewish origins. They were the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries, such as Meteor Records, based in Memphis. The Bihari brothers w ...

Modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

/ RPM Records. Turner was also a

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance ...

talent scout, and used the Kings of Rhythm as session musicians. They played on many recording for the Biharis' Modern, RPM, and

Flair Flair can refer to: *''Flair'', a short-lived magazine edited by Fleur Cowles *Flair (miniseries), a 1990 Australian miniseries * Flair (pens), a brand of felt tip pens * Flair (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse *The Flair family of American profes ...

labels. Turner's wife Bonnie Turner was a pianist and vocalist in his new line-up. They released the record, "My Heart Belongs To You" / "Looking for My Baby" from RPM in 1952. The Kings of Rhythm which included Bonnie Turner, Raymond Hill,

Billy "The Kid" Emerson William Robert Emerson (born December 21, 1925), known during his recording career as Billy "The Kid" Emerson and more recently as Rev. William R. Emerson,''Juke Blues'' magazine, # 58, 2005, pp.11-21, Interviews with Emerson is an American preac ...

and Johnny O'Neal recorded for Sun in 1953 and 1954. Some of the recordings remained unissued until Charly Records released of ''Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings'' in 1976. Turner and the Kings of Rhythm last recorded for Sun in 1958 with Tommy Hodge, by then, Phillips had shifted his focus onto

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...

music and wasn't recording many black musicians anymore.

1954–1962: St. Louis

In late 1954, Turner took the reformed version of Kings of Rhythm north to

East St. Louis East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

, which included Kizart, Sims, O'Neal, Jesse Knight Jr. and Turner's then wife Annie Mae Wilson on piano and vocals. Around this time, Turner moved over to playing guitar to accommodate Wilson, taking lessons from Willie Kizart to improve. Turner maintained strict discipline over the band, insisting they lived in a large house with him so he could conduct early morning rehearsals at a moment's notice. He would fire anyone he suspected of drinking or taking drugs, and would fine band-members if they played a wrong note. He controlled everything from the arrangements down to the suits the band wore onstage. Starting off playing at a club called Kingsbury's in Madison, Illinois, within a year Turner had built up a full gig schedule, establishing his group as one of the most highly rated on the St. Louis club circuit, vying for popularity with their only real competition, Sir John's Trio featuring

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

. The bands would play all-nighters in St. Louis, then cross the river to the clubs of East St. Louis, and continue playing until dawn. In St. Louis for the first time Turner and the band were exposed to a developing white teenage audience who were excited by rhythm and blues. Clubs they played in St. Louis included Club Imperial, which was popular with white teenagers, The Dynaflow, The Moonlight Lounge, Club Riviera and the West End Walters. In East St. Louis, the group would play at Kingsbury's, Manhattan Club and The Sportsman. In between live dates, Turner took the band to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

to record for Federal in 1956. The session produced the regional hit "I'm Tore Up," featuring lead vocalist

Billy Gayles Billy Gayles (October 19, 1931 – April 8, 1993) was an American rhythm & blues drummer and vocalist. Gayles was a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s with whom he recorded for Flair Records and Federal Records as the lead vocal ...

. In 1958, the band recorded for Cobra/Artistic in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, serving as the

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

for

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s art ...

, and Betty Everett. Turner befriended St. Louis R&B fan Bill Stevens, who in 1959 set up the short-lived record label, Stevens Records, which was financed by his father Fred Stevens. Turner and the Kings of Rhythm recorded for Stevens, of which seven singles were released and later included on the Red Lightnin' compilation ''Hey Hey'' (1984).

1960–1976: The Ike & Tina Turner Revue

After the addition of his future wife Little Ann (

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

) as lead singer, Turner formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The creation of the revue was in a large part the birth of the soul revues of the 1960s. The Kings of Rhythm and Tina were joined on stage by the Ikettes who contributed backing vocals and choreographed dance moves. As backing band to the duo, the band played on many substantial soul hits, including the million sellers "

A Fool In Love "A Fool in Love" is the debut single by Ike & Tina Turner. It was released on Sue Records in 1960. The song is Tina Turner's first professional release although she had been recording with Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm since 1958. It was the ...

" (1960) and " It's Gonna Work Out Fine"(1961) both for

Sue Records ''Sue Records was also the name of a Louisiana-based record company which owned Jewel Records (Shreveport record label).'' Sue Records ("The Sound of Soul") was an American record label founded by Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robinson in 1957. ...

. Also included in the revue were male singers Stacy Johnson, Vernon Guy,

Jimmy Thomas Jimmy Thomas (January 20, 1939 – April 25, 2022) was an American soul singer and songwriter. He was best known as a vocalist for Ike Turner. Thomas joined Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1958, and remained with the band when the Ike & Tina T ...

and Bobby John. Turner moved the revue to California in 1962. In the mid-1960s

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

briefly played backing guitar in the band. Turner fired him because his guitar solos became "so elaborate they overstepped the bounds." In 1964, the band released the single "Getting Nasty" / "Nutting Up" under the alias Nasty Minds on Turner's Sonja label. In addition the band appeared on local television shows and toured the

Chitlin' Circuit The Chitlin' Circuit was a collection of performance venues throughout the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest areas of the United States that provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African American musicians, comedians, and other enterta ...

. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was featured in the 1966 concert film ''

The Big T.N.T. Show ''The Big T.N.T. Show'' is a 1966 concert film. Directed by Larry Peerce and distributed by American International Pictures, it includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and the United Ki ...

''. The lineup for that performance was Turner and Herb Sadler on guitar, James Norwood on drums, Sam Rhodes on bass and Ernest Lane on piano. In the fall of 1966, the Ike Tina Turner Reve joined

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

in their British Tour. They also joined the Rolling Stones for their American Tour in 1969. By 1970, Ike & Tina Turner had a resurgence on the charts with their rock covers. Following the success of their single "

Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band's second studio album, '' Bayou Country'', which was issued by the same ...

" in 1971, the Kings of Rhythm were renamed the Family Vibes. They released two albums as the Family Vibes, ''

Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...

'' (1972) and ''Confined to Soul'' (1973), both produced by Turner. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue disbanded in 1976.

1986–1987: St. Louis Kings of Rhythm

In 1986, a revival of the King of Rhythm consisting of several veteran members toured Europe as the St. Louis Kings Of Rhythm. The tour extended into 1987, and an album titled ''St. Louis Kings Of Rhythm'' was released on Timeless Records in Europe. Mayor

Vincent Schoemehl Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. (born October 30, 1946 in St. Louis) was the 42nd mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, serving three terms from 1981 to 1993. At the time of his first election, he was one of the city's youngest mayors. In 1992, Schoemehl was de ...

officially appointed the St. Louis Kings Of Rhythm ambassadors for the City of St. Louis.

2001–present: Reformation

In the late 1990s Turner toured with Joe Louis Walker, the positive response to the tour encouraged him to reform the Kings of Rhythm. The King of Rhythm toured the U.S. in 2001 and headlined a showcase at

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

where they were hailed as one of the highlights of the conference. This led to the recording and release of the Grammy-nominated album '' Here And Now'' (2001) by Turner and the Kings of Rhythm. The album won two W.C. Handy Awards, the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the ...

's equivalent of the Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional Blues Album and Comeback Album of the Year in 2002. They received positive reviews for their performances at various music festivals, including

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

(2002),

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival w ...

(2002), and

Jazz à Vienne Jazz à Vienne is a Jazz Festival in Vienne, Isère, near Lyon, France. The festival has been held since 1981 in the months of June and July for two weeks. Every evening during the festival, there are concerts in the ancient Roman theater of ...

(2004). The Kings of Rhythm backed Turner on his Grammy-winning album ''Risin' With The Blues'' (2006). After Turner died in December 2007, the band was temporarily under the leadership of pianist Ernest Lane (1931–2012), a childhood friend of Turner's. The band performed Turner's classic songs at his funeral. Since 2008, the band has performed with vocalist Earl Thomas. Thomas became a fan of Ike & Tina Turner after watching the film ''Soul To Soul'' (1971) as a child. He met Turner in 2004 and remained in contact with him until his death.

Legacy

By some accounts, "Rocket 88" is considered the first rock and roll record. Speaking on "Rocket 88" being a contender for the first rock 'n' roll record, broadcaster

Paul Gambaccini Paul Matthew Gambaccini (born April 2, 1949) is an American-British radio and television presenter and author in the United Kingdom. He has dual United States and British nationality, having become a British citizen in 2005. Known as "The Grea ...

said:

In musical terms e wasvery important. "Rocket 88" is one of the two records that can claim to be the first rock 'n' roll record, the other being " The Fat Man" by
Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
from 1949. But "Rocket 88" does have a couple of elements which "The Fat Man" did not. The wailing saxophone and that distorted electric guitar. It was number one in the rhythm and blues chart for five weeks, it's in the Grammy Hall of Fame and it was an indisputable claim to fame for Ike Turner, even though his lead singer and saxophonist, Jackie Brenston, got the label credit.

Awards

"Rocket 88" was inducted into the

in 1991, the

in 1998, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles in 2018.

Band members

1951 ''Rocket 88'' recording band (Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats)

– Piano * Jackie Brenston – Saxophone, vocals *

Willie Kizart Willie Kizart (January 4, 1932 – September 2, 1998) was an American electric blues guitarist best known for being a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s. Kizart played guitar on "Rocket 88" in 1951, which is considered by some acc ...

–

Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

* Raymond Hill – Saxophone * Willie "Bad Boy" Sims –

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

1950s–1960s members

– Piano * Jackie Brenston – Saxophone, vocals *

– Vocals, drums * Johnny O'Neal – Vocals * Willie "Bad Boy" Sims –

* Raymond Hill – Saxophone * Bobby Fields * Vernon Guy – Vocals * Bob Prindall – Drums * Edward Nash * Eugene Washington – Drums * Eddie Jones –

Tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

* Eugene Fox - alto saxophone, vocals *

Clifford Solomon Clifford "King" Solomon (January 17, 1931 – June 21, 2004) was an American jazz and R&B musician. Solomon was born in Los Angeles and learned to play clarinet from an early age and picked up saxophone when he was 13. In the late 1940s he pla ...

* Clayton Love – Vocals *Carlson Oliver – Vocals *

– Vocals *Bobby John – Vocals * Stacy Johnson – Vocals *

– Guitar * Ernest Lane (early 60s and 1999–2009) *Larry Lynch – Bass *

Al McKay AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

– Guitar *

Leon Blue Leon Blue (September 19, 1931) is an American pianist. He has played with Ike & Tina Turner, Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Albert King, Roy Milton, Little Joe Blue, and many others. Blue also recorded as a member of the Manish Boys. L ...

– Piano *James "Bubba" Norwood – Drums * Willie Kizart – Guitar * C. V. Veal (Ike's cousin) * Jesse Knight Jr. (Ike's nephew) – Bass *Sam Rhodes – Bass *Herb Sadler – Guitar * Bonnie Turner (Ike's ex-wife) – Piano, vocals * Little Ann (Tina Turner) – Vocals * Annie Mae Wilson (Ike's ex-wife) – Piano * Johnny Wright – Guitar, Vocals

Studio lineup for ''A Black Man's Soul'' (1969)

*Jesse Knight – Bass *McKinley "Mack" Johnson – Drums *Ike Turner – Guitar *Teasky Tribble – Percussion *Fred Sample, Ike Turner,

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

on "Getting Nasty" – Piano *Washee – Saxophone *Jesse Heron – Trombone *Tina Turner – Vocals

1970s members

* Ike Turner – Guitar, Organ *Leon Blue – Piano *Edward Burks – Trombone * Jackie Clark – Guitar *Warren Dawson – Bass * Patrick Gammon – Piano * McKinley "Mack" Johnson – Trumpet * Mark Landon – Guitar * John Leland – Bass * Mary Reed – Tenor saxophone * Jimmie Smith – Tenor saxophone * J.D. Reed – Baritone saxophone * Soko Richardson – Drums *Larry Reed – Tenor Saxophone *Claude Williams – Trumpet

St Louis Kings of Rhythm lineup (1986–1987)

* Clayton Love – Keyboard * Billy Gayles – Drummer, vocals *

Robbie Montgomery Robbie Montgomery (born June 16, 1940) is an American singer and restaurateur. She is noted for being one of the original Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s. After her tenure as an Ikette, she was a member of the Mirettes, and t ...

– Vocalist * Stacy Johnson – Vocalist * Oliver Sain – Saxophone * Jimmy Hinds – Bass * Darrel Darden – Guitar (1986) * Marvin "Buzzy" Morton – Guitar (1987)

Current members

* Paul Smith – Keyboards, Organ * Leo Dombecki – Keyboards, Saxophone * Bill Ray – Drums * Armando Cepeda – Bass * Ryan Montana – Saxophone * Seth Blumberg – Guitar

Partial discography

Studio albums

*1962: '' Ike & Tina Turner's Kings of Rhythm Dance'' *1963: ''Rocks The Blues'' *1969: ''

A Black Man's Soul ''A Black Man's Soul'' is an instrumental album by musician Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm released by Pompeii Records in 1969. Recording and release ''A Black Man's Soul'' contains songs written by Ike Turner, fellow St. Louis musician O ...

'' *1972: ''

'' *1972: '' Blues Roots'' *1973: ''Confined to Soul'' *1973: '' Bad Dreams'' *2001: '' Here And Now'' *2006: '' Risin' With The Blues''

Live albums

* 2002: Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm – ''The Resurrection: Live Montreux Jazz Festival'', Isabel IS 640202 * 2006: Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm – ''Live In Concert'', Charly Films CHF-F1014LF VD/2CD

Compilations

*1976: ''Sun – The Roots Of Rock, Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings'' ( Charly CR-30103) *1976: Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm – ''I'm Tore Up'' (Red Lightnin' RL-0016) *1984: The Legendary Ike Turner and The Kings of Rhythm – ''Hey Hey'' (Red Lightnin' RL-0047) *1990: Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm – ''Cobra Sessions 1958'' (P-Vine PCD-2161) *2001: The Kings Of Rhythm Featuring Ike Turner – ''

The Sun Sessions ''The Sun Sessions'' is a compilation album by American singer Elvis Presley, containing songs he recorded at Sun Studios in 1954 and 1955. It was issued by RCA Records in 1976, and had been issued and charted as ''The Sun Collection'' in the U ...

'' (

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...

302 066 232 2) *2004: Ike Turner And The Kings Of Rhythm – ''King Cobra: The Chicago Sessions'' (Fuel 2000/Varese 302 061 390 2) *2017: Ike Turner And The Kings Of Rhythm – ''She Made My Blood Run Cold'' (Southern Routes SR-CD-3502)

Singles

* 1951: "Heartbroken and Worried" / "I'm Lonesome Baby" (

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

1459) – Ike Turner And His Kings of Rhythm, * 1952: "My Heart Belongs To You" / "Looking for My Baby"( RPM 362) – Bonnie and Ike Turner With Orchestra Acc. * 1954: "Sinners Dream" / "Stay At Home" ( Checker 792) – Eugene Fox *1954: "Wicked Little Baby" / "Why Don't You Believe In Me" (Modern 929) – Clayton Love *1954: "I Miss You So" / "Early Times" (

930) –

Dennis Binder Dennis Binder (born November 18, 1928) is an American rhythm and blues musician and singer, best known for his song "Long Man Blues". Binder began his careers in the 1950s, recording for prominent R&B labels, including Chess Records, Sun Recor ...

& His Orchestra *1954: "The Snuggle"/ "Bourbon Street Jump" (Sun 204) – Raymond Hill *1954: "Baby Please" / "Gypsy Blues" (Flair 1037) – Matt Cockrell *1954: "The Drean (Part 1)" / "The Dream (Part 2) (RPM 420) – The Fox *1956: "As Long As I Have You" / "I Wanna Make Love To You" (RPM 446) – The Trojans *1956: "What Am I To Do" / "I'll Die In Love With You" (Federal 12267) – The Rockers *1956: "My Baby's Tops" / "Flaming Tops" (Federal 12284) – The Gardenias *1956: "I'm Tore Up" / "If I Never Had Known You" (Federal 12265) –

with Ike Turner's Rhythm Rockers * 1956: "Do Right Baby" / "No Coming Back" ( Federal 12282) – Billy Gayles With Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm * 1957: "Much Later" / "The Mistreater" (Federal 12291) – Jackie Brenston With Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm * 1957: "What Can It Be" / "Gonna Wait For My Chance" (Federal 12283) – Jackie Brenston With Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm * 1957: "Do You Mean It" / "She Made My Blood Run Cold" (Federal 12297) – Ike Turner And His Orchestra * 1958: "

Boxtop A boxtop, in the context of being a proof of purchase, is understood to be the upper portion of a product box, detached, and mailed as part of a claim for a radio premium or other advertising offer. During the 1930s through 1960s, cereal boxtops ...

" / "Chalypso Love Cry" (Tune Town 501) – Ike Turner, Carlson Oliver, Little Ann * 1959: " Box Top" / "Walking Down The Aisle" ( Cobra 5033) – Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm * 1959: "(I Know) You Don't Love Me" / "Down & Out" (Artistic 1504) – Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm, vocal by Tommy Hodge * 1961: "Crackerjack" / "Gettin' Late" ( Crackerjack 4000) – Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm * 1962: "Prancing" / "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" (Sue 760) – Ike & Tina's Kings of Rhythm * 1962: "Drifting" / "Love You Baby" (Kent 45x378) – Ike Turner And His Orchestra, vocal by Bobby "Blue" Bland *1963: "Lonely Soldier" / "The Bad Man" (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

111) – Bobby John *1963: "Remove My Doubts" / "Don't Believe 'Em" (Sony 113) – Stacy Johnson *1963: "What's That You've Got" / "Need My Help" (Sony 114) – Ernest Lane *1964: "Anything - To Make It With You" / "Walking Down The Isle" ( Sonja 2007) – Vernon Guy *1964: "Getting Nasty" / "Nutting Up" (Sonja 5001) – Nasty Minds * 1965: "The New Breed (Pt. 1)" / "The New Breed (Pt. 2)" (Sue 138) – Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm * 1968: "You Got What You Wanted" / "Too Hot To Hold" (Pompeii 66682) – Tina Turner With Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm * 1972: "Soppin' Molasses" / "Bootie Lip" (United Artists 50901) – Family Vibes * 1973: "Garbage Man" / "El Burrito" (United Artists XW278) – Family Vibes

Uncredited recordings

* 1951: "Rocket 88" / "Come Back To Where You Belong" (Chess 1458) – recorded at Sam Phillips' studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 3 or 5, 1951 by Ike Turner and his band, The Kings of Rhythm (with his saxophonist and occasional singer Jackie Brenston, being credited on the record's label ackie Brenston and His Delta Catsas the writer/performer). * 1951: "My Real Gone Rocket" / "Tuckered Out" (Chess 1469) – credited as Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats

References

{{Authority control American funk musical groups American rhythm and blues musical groups American soul musical groups Rock and roll music groups Rock music groups from Mississippi Ike & Tina Turner members Musical groups established in 1947 Musical groups from St. Louis 1947 establishments in Mississippi Nightclub performers Chess Records artists RPM Records (United States) artists Modern Records artists Federal Records artists Cobra Records artists Sonja Records artists Pompeii Records artists United Artists Records artists Musical backing groups