Soul legend Ike Turner, who died last month at the age of 76, was killed by a cocaine overdose, Californian coroners have established.
"We are listing that he abused cocaine and that's what resulted in the cocaine toxicity," said an official at the San Diego County medical examiner's office. Cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema were also given as "significant" factors in the death.
Turner's daughter Mia said she was shocked by the report. The singer had waged an "ongoing struggle" with drugs, she said, but the coroner was "overstating the situation".
Rising to fame in the 1960s, the musician is best remembered for his musical partnership with Tina. Their stormy marriage, in which she said he abused her, overshadowed his considerable achievements in popular music. In his autobiography, he estimated he had spent $11m to support his cocaine habit in the 1970s and 1980s.
Just months before he died, Turner was at the center of controversy in St. Louis, when Mayor Francis Slay turned down a request from organizers of the Big Muddy Blues Festival to make September 2 "Ike Turner Day." Turner was the headline performer that day at the blues festival in St. Louis.
After his death last December, the New York Post reported his demise with the headline: "Ike Beats Tina To Death"
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