WEBVTT
00:00:23.739 --> 00:00:25.745
Hi Warriors, welcome to 1-3.
00:00:25.745 --> 00:00:27.147
I'm your host, ingrid.
00:00:27.147 --> 00:00:34.150
When you hear the following quote, people think my life has been tough, but I think it's been a wonderful journey.
00:00:34.150 --> 00:00:45.477
You may believe there is no way that individual could be speaking of intimate partner violence, but she was That and the emotional abuse and loss she suffered as a child.
00:00:45.477 --> 00:00:56.759
You see survivors fight and persevere and when they don't back down it can even reach the highest heights, just like Tina Turner did.
00:01:04.868 --> 00:01:12.343
On November 26, 1939, anna Mae Bullock was born at Brownsville's Haywood Memorial Hospital to Selma in Floyd.
00:01:12.343 --> 00:01:17.662
Richard Bullock, her father, who went by Richard, was a deacon at the Woodland Baptist Church.
00:01:17.662 --> 00:01:22.799
He was also the top sharecropper of the Poindexter Farm in Nutbush, tennessee.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:32.868
The Poindexters were a white family who owned the farm and, despite Tennessee being a segregated state at the time, they and the Bullock family socialized well.
00:01:32.868 --> 00:01:38.272
Anna Mae's mother, whom she called Ma, had previously taken her father away from another woman.
00:01:38.272 --> 00:01:41.724
The affair left Selma pregnant, so the two got married.
00:01:41.724 --> 00:01:45.980
It was evident they were not truly in love as they fought all the time.
00:01:45.980 --> 00:01:53.739
Richard was initially taken by surprise, as he soon found out Selma could and would fight back.
00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:57.391
Ma gave birth to a baby girl they named Aileen.
00:01:57.992 --> 00:02:02.385
While the new parents loved their little girl, the marriage continued to suffer.
00:02:02.385 --> 00:02:08.324
Selma was beginning to imagine leaving Richard when she found out she was pregnant again.
00:02:08.324 --> 00:02:15.490
This would actually be Selma's third daughter, as she had an older daughter named Evelyn Curie from a previous relationship.
00:02:15.490 --> 00:02:18.139
This new baby was different.
00:02:18.139 --> 00:02:25.740
Anna Mae was Aileen's younger sister by three years and she was an unwanted baby in an unhappy marriage.
00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:29.850
She would soon grow to know it Now.
00:02:30.072 --> 00:02:33.340
Selma was more Native American than Black descent.
00:02:33.340 --> 00:02:42.953
Perhaps it was this ethnicity, or just the marvel of genetics, that led Anna Mae to be much fairer skinned, with lighter hair, than her darker sister.
00:02:42.953 --> 00:02:51.201
Anna Mae's appearance, along with a rumor Selma had been unfaithful, led Richard's family to believe Anna Mae was not his.
00:02:51.201 --> 00:02:55.052
Therefore, they always looked at her with disapproval.
00:02:55.052 --> 00:03:04.862
With America's involvement in World War II in 1941, it was felt to be imperative for the United States to develop some type of massive weapon.
00:03:04.862 --> 00:03:12.989
Plans to construct a nuclear diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, opened up several opportunities to the Black community.
00:03:12.989 --> 00:03:17.042
Selma and Richard leapt at the chance to make more money.
00:03:17.042 --> 00:03:26.734
They split their daughters up, sending Aileen to live with Selma's mother, mama Georgie, and Anna Mae to Richard's stricter mother, mama Roxanna.
00:03:26.734 --> 00:03:36.793
Then the couple went to Knoxville to execute their plan, and in Knoxville they remained for the next few years.
00:03:36.793 --> 00:03:40.331
Eventually the jobs were dissolved, so Richard and Selma returned home.
00:03:40.331 --> 00:03:45.086
The Bullock family moved a few times, eventually settling in Spring Hill.
00:03:46.009 --> 00:03:49.259
Anna Mae continued to feel the emptiness from her parents.
00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:54.014
It was as if they didn't have time for her or didn't want her around.
00:03:54.014 --> 00:03:57.264
Anna Mae found comfort and solitude.
00:03:57.264 --> 00:04:01.298
She would play alone in the hills and then in the trees alongside nature.
00:04:01.298 --> 00:04:05.189
She befriended animals and became quite independent.
00:04:05.189 --> 00:04:10.768
One day, when Anna Mae was about nine or ten years old, ma just left.
00:04:10.768 --> 00:04:19.114
She had done this before bringing her two daughters with her to stay at Mama Georgie's, but Richard would always find them there and bring them back home.
00:04:19.114 --> 00:04:22.143
This time Ma left alone.
00:04:22.143 --> 00:04:24.330
Richard couldn't find her.
00:04:24.330 --> 00:04:26.216
She wasn't at Mama Georgie's.
00:04:26.216 --> 00:04:31.927
It wasn't until some time later that he figured out she had moved in with an aunt in St Louis.
00:04:31.927 --> 00:04:38.603
Even though she suffered an emotional absence from Ma, anna May loved her dearly.
00:04:38.603 --> 00:04:41.439
She was heartbroken at her departure.
00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:49.444
She hoped she would return or, as she ran to the mailbox every day, hoped to at least receive a letter from Ma.
00:04:49.444 --> 00:04:53.750
But no letter ever came and Ma never returned.
00:04:54.471 --> 00:04:59.281
Richard remarried at Divorce with a daughter, anna May's age, shortly after Ma left.
00:04:59.281 --> 00:05:03.779
His new wife didn't like living in the country and wanted to move to the city.
00:05:03.779 --> 00:05:09.622
After they all moved to a house within the city limits, the new couple began to fight.
00:05:09.622 --> 00:05:15.302
Richard would beat his new wife, who ended up stabbing him on two separate occasions.
00:05:15.302 --> 00:05:19.439
To no surprise, their marriage also ended within a year.
00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:30.750
As a single man raising two daughters, richard would often have a variety of adults coming in and out of the house, sometimes even staying at the house temporarily.
00:05:30.750 --> 00:05:36.682
The men would help with chores and the women would also help with chores and take care of the girls.
00:05:36.682 --> 00:05:42.463
Eventually, their father also left them to move to Detroit.
00:05:43.514 --> 00:05:46.790
Aileen and Anna May were left in the care of Cousin Ella Vera.
00:05:46.790 --> 00:05:50.119
Anna May was just 13 years old.
00:05:50.119 --> 00:05:58.769
Richard sent a little bit of money for a short time, but ultimately neither parent sent any correspondence or support.
00:05:58.769 --> 00:06:03.000
The two girls found work to help pay for themselves.
00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:06.095
Anna May worked for the Henderson family.
00:06:06.095 --> 00:06:09.583
They were a lovely young white couple with a baby.
00:06:09.583 --> 00:06:13.497
Anna May would help around the house as well as care for the baby.
00:06:13.497 --> 00:06:15.942
Soon she was staying with them.
00:06:15.942 --> 00:06:20.697
Aileen and Anna May had a cousin, margaret, on their mother's side.
00:06:20.697 --> 00:06:24.632
The three were incredibly close, in fact.
00:06:24.632 --> 00:06:30.362
To Anna May Margaret was like a best friend, cousin, sister and mom all in one.
00:06:31.451 --> 00:06:36.422
Up until this point in her life, anna May only knew love because of Margaret and Aileen.
00:06:36.422 --> 00:06:45.745
One evening, returning home from a basketball game, margaret, the girl's half-sister, Evelyn, and another cousin caught a ride home from a boy.
00:06:45.745 --> 00:06:48.637
He was drunk and driving fast.
00:06:48.637 --> 00:06:52.790
As he attempted to pass a car, he crashed head-on into a diesel truck.
00:06:52.790 --> 00:06:56.420
He, evelyn and Margaret were killed.
00:06:56.420 --> 00:07:03.783
Eventually, richard stopped sending any money, which forced Aileen and Anna May to move in with Mama Roxana.
00:07:04.692 --> 00:07:09.682
During this time, high schooler, anna May fell in love with a boy two years older than her.
00:07:09.682 --> 00:07:12.699
She eventually lost her virginity to him.
00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:18.790
After that he began to date other girls but continued an on-and-off-again relationship with Anna May.
00:07:18.790 --> 00:07:25.769
He joined the Air Force and when he returned home the two started the relationship up again and even discussed marriage.
00:07:25.769 --> 00:07:31.790
She was quite surprised when she heard he had married someone else because she was pregnant.
00:07:31.790 --> 00:07:34.790
Another person she loved was gone.
00:07:34.790 --> 00:07:39.790
Aileen left Mama Roxana's house, so Anna May moved in with Mama Georgie.
00:07:39.790 --> 00:07:44.242
It wasn't long after this that Mama Georgie passed away.
00:07:44.242 --> 00:07:47.613
Naturally, ma attended the funeral.
00:07:47.613 --> 00:07:52.529
She brought Anna May back with her to St Louis, where Aileen had already moved in.
00:07:53.192 --> 00:08:05.668
The year was 1956 and while in St Louis Aileen, who worked as a barmaid, introduced 16-year-old Anna May to the nightlife and to the latest hottest band, the Kings of Rhythm.
00:08:05.668 --> 00:08:09.079
The Kings were led by Ike Turner.
00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:14.776
Despite thinking he was ugly, anna May couldn't peel her eyes off Ike.
00:08:14.776 --> 00:08:19.209
His musical talent with a guitar and charisma kept her glued.
00:08:19.209 --> 00:08:26.250
Anna May would return as often as she could to watch the Kings and would try to get Ike's attention so she could sing.
00:08:26.250 --> 00:08:29.555
Eventually the mic landed in her hand.
00:08:29.555 --> 00:08:37.646
Anna May surprised everyone as she belted out such a strong, commanding voice from her petite frame.
00:08:37.646 --> 00:08:42.635
Ike instantly knew he needed to get her as part of his entourage.
00:08:42.635 --> 00:08:47.411
So Anna May began performing with the Kings on a regular basis.
00:08:47.411 --> 00:08:49.755
That's until Ma found out.
00:08:51.264 --> 00:08:55.519
Zelma confronted Anna May about her performing in bars while in high school.
00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.288
She instantly put a stop to it.
00:08:58.288 --> 00:09:02.639
In fact, ma backhanded her daughter over the entire thing.
00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:06.953
But the family fell into tough times and Ike needed a singer.
00:09:06.953 --> 00:09:14.053
He sat down with Zelma and convinced her to allow Anna May to accompany them to an out-of-town performance.
00:09:14.053 --> 00:09:17.908
She was able to sing with them on the weekends after that as well.
00:09:19.131 --> 00:09:32.533
Ike and Anna May developed a good relationship and looked at each other as brother and sister, and Ike lavished Anna May with sequined, adorned dresses, gloves, shoes, jewelry and furs.
00:09:32.533 --> 00:09:35.881
He took care of any problem Anna May had.
00:09:35.881 --> 00:09:38.649
This was in typical Ike fashion.
00:09:38.649 --> 00:09:42.182
He was known to go overboard when he first met people.
00:09:42.182 --> 00:09:45.870
We use a specific term today for that kind of behavior.
00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:47.453
It's called love bombing.
00:09:47.453 --> 00:09:54.162
It was Ike's way of pulling people in and laying a claim of ownership over them.
00:09:54.162 --> 00:09:57.011
Ike was in a relationship with Lurie and Taylor.
00:09:57.474 --> 00:10:07.442
Little Anne, as she became known as, began dating the saxophone player Raymond Hill and in 1957, at the age of 18, became pregnant.
00:10:07.442 --> 00:10:13.080
Raymond broke his ankle and returned to Clarksville, apparently ending the relationship.
00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:21.638
A few months after Anna May's high school graduation, raymond Craig was born on August 20, 1958.
00:10:21.638 --> 00:10:27.318
Ike also became a father that October when Lorraine gave birth to Ike Jr.
00:10:27.318 --> 00:10:32.732
Anna May had been living with Ma but moved out soon after Craig was born.
00:10:32.732 --> 00:10:40.394
Little Anne continued to perform with the Kings and was paid $15 a week by Ike for her work.
00:10:40.394 --> 00:10:45.032
In order to pay the bills, anna May also worked as a nursing assistant.
00:10:45.975 --> 00:10:50.246
Ike was a difficult manager and often lost musicians.
00:10:50.246 --> 00:10:51.551
Due to his demands.
00:10:51.551 --> 00:10:58.168
Soon he was without a lead singer and he pushed Little Anne into that vacancy.
00:10:58.168 --> 00:11:04.408
Her pay was increased to $25 a week and he moved she and baby Craig into his house.
00:11:04.408 --> 00:11:13.272
Ike confided in Little Anne that every time a musician he brought on with the Kings got a glimpse at stardom they would leave.
00:11:13.272 --> 00:11:16.365
She promised she would never desert him.
00:11:16.365 --> 00:11:20.674
The relationship remained strictly professional and sibling-like.
00:11:20.674 --> 00:11:25.250
That is until one night Little Anne sought refuge in Ike's room.
00:11:26.052 --> 00:11:27.956
Ike and Lorraine had recently broken up.
00:11:27.956 --> 00:11:33.260
One of the musicians was hinting he was going to come into Anna May's room that night.
00:11:33.260 --> 00:11:42.027
She felt she would be safer with Ike, and she was safe until the next morning when Ike started to get handsy.
00:11:42.027 --> 00:11:50.183
Anna May did not want to have sex with him but gave in, and so it began.
00:11:50.183 --> 00:11:59.091
Anna May fell in love, but in the meantime Ike and Lorraine had a second son, michael, who was born in 1959.
00:11:59.091 --> 00:12:13.868
But little Anne was Ike's number one side piece and it just so happens she became pregnant at the beginning of 1960, at which time Ike officially got back together with Lorraine again.
00:12:13.868 --> 00:12:20.897
In the same year Ike had written A Fool in Love to be recorded with a male vocalist.
00:12:20.897 --> 00:12:25.254
Well, that singer did not show up to the scheduled recording time.
00:12:25.254 --> 00:12:28.272
Ike had little Anne fill in.
00:12:28.272 --> 00:12:30.831
He sent demo tapes out and got a hit.
00:12:31.845 --> 00:12:42.395
Seeing the goldmine in Anna May, ike made a unilateral decision A Fool in Love would be released, with credit to Ike and Tina Turner.
00:12:42.395 --> 00:12:45.591
Anna May was unsure about the name change.
00:12:45.591 --> 00:12:47.429
She was unsure about everything.
00:12:47.429 --> 00:12:53.629
Ike was certain this album was going to be his ticket out of St Louis and he wanted to go to California.
00:12:53.629 --> 00:12:56.091
He wanted little Anne to come with him.
00:12:56.091 --> 00:13:01.335
He announced he would pay her rent but keep all the profits to himself.
00:13:02.684 --> 00:13:08.610
Anna May was still young, just 20 years old, and didn't have a lot of exposure to the business aspect of music.
00:13:08.610 --> 00:13:12.453
But she knew she did not want what Ike was selling her.
00:13:12.453 --> 00:13:19.133
She told him just as much, and that is the first time Ike beat her.
00:13:19.133 --> 00:13:26.517
Not wanting to damage his guitar and piano playing hands, ike grabbed a shoe stretcher.
00:13:26.517 --> 00:13:30.335
He hit Anna May in the head until her eye was swollen.
00:13:30.335 --> 00:13:34.193
Then he forced her onto the bed and raped her.
00:13:35.245 --> 00:13:38.152
There are many people who believe this is the point.
00:13:38.152 --> 00:13:40.035
They would leave that situation.
00:13:40.035 --> 00:13:43.091
They would just walk out and never look back.
00:13:43.091 --> 00:13:48.095
Before we get all judgmental, let's dive into Anna May's circumstances.
00:13:48.095 --> 00:13:49.849
She was 20 years old.
00:13:49.849 --> 00:13:52.893
She only knew singing and performing.
00:13:52.893 --> 00:14:02.854
Sure, she had a little experience as a nursing assistant in a maternity ward, but she already had a toddler and was pregnant with her second child.
00:14:02.854 --> 00:14:08.375
She didn't have any familial support other than this family of musicians she had found.
00:14:08.375 --> 00:14:11.390
Don't forget she loved Ike.
00:14:11.390 --> 00:14:16.014
She had also vowed she would not be like the other musicians who left him.
00:14:17.404 --> 00:14:25.208
Anna May believed this was a hiccup in the relationship, that things would, could, should, get better from here.
00:14:25.208 --> 00:14:28.871
This sounds like a good place to pause for today.
00:14:28.871 --> 00:14:35.668
Spoiler alert things get worse before they get better, but they do get better.
00:14:35.668 --> 00:14:40.332
Next week I will bring you the rest of Anna May's story.
00:14:40.332 --> 00:14:50.634
Until then, stay strong And wherever you are in your journey, always remember you are not alone.
00:14:50.634 --> 00:14:59.284
Find more information, register as a guest or leave a review by going to the website 1and3podcastcom.
00:14:59.284 --> 00:15:04.556
That's the number 1, i-n the number 3, podcastcom.
00:15:04.556 --> 00:15:09.595
Feel 1 and 3 on Instagram, facebook and Twitter at 1and3podcast.
00:15:09.595 --> 00:15:13.855
To help me out, please remember to rate, review and subscribe.
00:15:13.855 --> 00:15:15.989
1 and 3 is a.5.
00:15:15.989 --> 00:15:19.868
Pinoy production Written and performed by Tim Crow.