Ike Turner, the groundbreaking R&B producer and multi-instrumentalist who became best known for his abuse of protégé and ex-wife Tina Turner, died this morning in his sleep at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.

Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's musical career, told MP3.com that Turner "has in fact passed away today."

There was no immediate cause of death, and Hanover declined to comment on Turner's health of late, saying only that "he was as sick as any 76-year-old man would be."

Turner, a native of Clarksdale, Miss., was as important figure in rhythm and blues as anyone of his era, particularly in infusing his sound with what would later be known as rock and roll. In fact, he is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock-and-roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.

In 1959, Turner met Anna Mae Bullock, then 18, and proceeded to help turn the singer into a star. The couple married and the husky-voiced singer changed her name to Tina Turner, sporting short skirts and stiletto heels and turning into a dazzling diva onstage.

The pair recorded a string of big hits, including "A Fool In Love," "I Idolize You," "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," and "River Deep, Mountain High." Their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" landed them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

But while Ike and Tina made for a potent musical duo, their marriage was widely reported to be a mess, with Ike Turner alleged to have beaten and brutalized Tina over several years. Tina Turner wrote about the abuse in her 1986 autobiography, I, Tina, which was used as the basis for the film What's Love Got to Do With It. In the movie, Laurence Fishburne portrayed Ike Turner as a ruthless demon.

Ike Turner denied his ex-wife's claims of abuse and expressed frustration at his reputation and lack of recognition for his music. In 1991, when he and Tina were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he was serving a lengthy prison term on drug and weapons charges and was forced to miss the ceremony.

Ike Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in his later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in February 2007 in the traditional blues album category for Risin' With the Blues.