Floyd Richard Bullock is widely known as the father of Tina Turner. In this article, you will get to learn more about him.
Background
Floyd Richard Bullock was born on July 31, 1912, in Nutbush, Haywood County, Tennessee, United States. There are no details of his childhood or early education.
Career
Floyd was a sharecropper – he farmed land owned by someone else for a share of the crops.
Personal Life
Floyd Richard Bullock got married to Zelma Priscilla (née Currie) and they have two children together; Alline Bullock and Anna Mae (Tina Turner).
He and Zelma had a troubled relationship, and Floyd was allegedly abusive. Tina lived with Floyd and her sister initially. However, they later moved in with their grandmother after Zelma left Floyd.
Unfortunately, Floyd passed away on January 18, 1967 at the age of 54.
His Daughter, Anna Mae (Tina Turner)
Tina Turner was a “Queen of Rock’n’ Roll” whose magnetic stage presence and contagious spirit entertained audiences for more than five decades. She did not have a glittering journey though. It was a story of resistance, renewal and triumph.
Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, Tina grew up poor and unstable. Her father was a sharecropper and her mother, Zelma Priscilla, barely scraped by. An unhappy parentage left Tina seeking solace in music – gospel and RnB.
Tina performed as Little Ann in Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm band in her teens. They had great musical chemistry and soon formed a performing duo, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. They became big time rockers whose live shows incorporated rock and roll, RnB and Tina’s raw vocals. Hits like “A Fool in Love” and “River Deep – Mountain High” became music history.
Despite public approval, Tina lived a dark secret. The pair were damaged by Ike’s volatile personality and physical abuse. Tina left Ike with only a credit card and clothes on her back in 1976.
In the years following this there would be some reinventing. Tina began a solo career but was initially skeptical because of her age and Ike ties. But her talent and determination won. Her comeback album Private Dancer, with the hit What’s Love Got to Do With It in 1984, made her a worldwide superstar.
Tina’s solo career demonstrated her strength. She turned to rock and pop alongside her RnB roots with hits like “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and “The Best.” Her explosive stage presence of high vocals and dancing cemented her title as “Queen of Rock’n’ Roll.”
Tina had an impact beyond music. Her autobiography “I, Tina” detailed the abuse Ike dealt her and made her a symbol of female empowerment. She also began acting, starring in the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome movie.
Tina Turner was worth USD 250 million at her death in 2023. But her legacy really is in her music and her story. Her powerful voice, resilience and ability to reinvent herself inspired generations.
Tina kept her personal life very tight. She left Ike for longtime German record executive Erwin Bach, whom she married in 2013. She raised four children, some from previous relationships, and was a very dedicated mother.
Tina Turner was a living testimony to human spirit. From overcoming adversity to conquering the world stage she redefined what it meant to be a rock and roll icon. Her music is an inspiration today – an echo of her unwavering spirit and legacy.
