Raymond Craig Turner, an American real estate agent, died at the age of 59. He was the eldest son of rock ‘n’ roll queen Tina Turner and Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill. At the time of his death, he was working for Rodeo Realty.
Craig was born to Tina when she was a senior in high school and was only 18 years old at the time. He was later adopted by Ike Turner and changed his name to Craig Raymond Turner. He grew up with his half-brothers Ronald Renzel Turner, Ike Turner Jr., and Michael Turner.
Sadly, in 2018, Raymond was found dead in his apartment in Studio City at the age of 59. According to official reports, the cause of his death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Today we look back at his childhood, family, career, and other events. We will also find out whether Raymond Craig Turner was ever married to his wife. Find out here.
Raymond Craig Turner Was Born In 1958
Raymond Craig Turner was born on 2 August 1958 in Missouri, USA. If he had not died in 2018, he would have turned 64 in 2022. Turner is the first son born to singer and actress Tina Turner and her then-boyfriend Raymond Hill.
According to his mother, Craig was a very emotional child who often took care of his mother! He graduated from high school in 1976, the same year his mother left his adoptive mother, Ike.
Raymond Craig Turner’s Parents Had An Abusive Relationship
If you know who Tina and Ike are, then you certainly know about their turbulent relationship. The former couple crossed paths in 1957 at a Manhattan club in East St. Louis. Initially, their relationship began as “brother and sister leading separate lives.
After a while, however, they became romantically involved and moved in together. In October 1960, Ike and Tina welcomed a son, Ronnie Turner. They also married two years later, in 1962 in Tijuana.
Mr. Ike bought a house for himself and his family of six and moved to the View Park area. Although everyone thought the singer had a perfect life, Ike was something else. He was violent towards his wife and reportedly beat her at home.
The abuse and violence she experienced during their marriage were revealed years later in Kurt Loder’s book I, Tina, based on Tina’s life.
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Craig & His Siblings Grew Up In A Violent Environment
As mentioned above, Ike was abusive towards his wife and created a very violent environment at home. At home, he said, he beat Tina even though they had four children.
According to Tina’s interview with Oprah, the children saw her black eyes from time to time. She said, “Tina was very unpleasant,
“They saw the black eyes. Ike’s children never reacted, but my oldest son, Craig, was a very emotional kid. He’d always look down in sadness.”
She continued,
“One day when Ike was fighting me, Craig knocked on the door and said, “Mother, are you all right?”
When Turner decided to leave her abusive husband, Craig had already finished high school and Ronnie was still in school.
Raymond Craig Turner’s Mother Attempted Suicide
After years and years of abuse from her husband, Raymond’s mother, Tina, tried to end her own life in 1968 by overdosing on Valium pills.
She revealed her big step in her autobiography, saying,
“It was my relationship with Ike that made me most unhappy. At first, I had really been in love with him. Look what he’d done for me. But he was totally unpredictable.”
Nevertheless, she stayed with her abuser for the next eight years until she finally left him. In addition, Ika was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
What Did Raymond Do For A Living?
At the time of his death in 2018, Raymond was working as an estate agent. According to Tina Turner herself, he had taken a job with Rodeo Realty, a real estate company based in California’s San Fernando Valley.
According to his now-deleted online profile, he was described as an “extremely dedicated to pleasing clients and fulfilling all your real estate needs” type of agent. He was also a member of the National Association of Realtors: California Association of Realtors.
In addition, information about his previous jobs and details of his work have not been disclosed to the public.
How Did Raymond Craig Turner Die?
On 3 July 2018, Craig was found dead in his Studio City, California home. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 59.
At the time, Tine was in Paris for haute couture week. After the funeral, Raymond was cremated and his ashes were scattered by his mother on the California coast.
A few weeks after his untimely death, Tina tweeted a picture of herself on a boat. She captioned the image,
“My saddest moment as a mother. On Thursday, July 19, 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California. He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby”
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Craig Turner’s Mother Tina Turner Opened Up About His Death After A Year
Although Raymond had already died, his mother only found out about his death a year later. In an interview with the BBC, Tina spoke about her son’s tragic death, saying: “Tina said her son had died tragically,
“I still don’t know what took him to the edge because at that stage he had said to me that he had never met a woman that he felt that way about.”
A year later, the mother of four told People magazine about Craig’s death, saying he was in good condition. She said, “She said he was dead,
“I think Craig was lonely, that’s what I think really got him more than anything else,”
She added,
“I have pictures all around of him smiling, and I think I’m sensing that he’s in a good place. I really do.”
Was Raymond Married To A Wife?
According to Tina’s statement, Turner met someone in 2018, but her identity was never revealed.
The grieving mother had confirmed the news of the encounter in an interview in which she said,
“He had said to me that he had never met a woman that he felt that way about. He was bringing her to meet me for his birthday in August.”
Moreover, Raymond Craig was never officially married to his wife.
Quick Facts About Raymond Craig Turner
| Full Name: | Raymond Craig Turner |
|---|---|
| Birth Date: | August 29, 1958 |
| Age: | 64 years |
| Death Date: | July 3, 2018 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | Real Estate Agent |
| Country: | United States |
| Horoscope: | Virgo |
| Height: | 5 feet 11 inches (1.80m) |
| Net Worth | $80k |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Body Size | 41-31-35 inches |
| Aunt | Aillene Bullock, Alline Bullock |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Afro-American |
| Education | the University of California |
| Father | Raymond Hill |
| Mother | Tina Turner |
| Siblings | Michael Turner, Ike Turner Jr, and Ronnie Turner |
