According to her spokeswoman, Tina Turner, the incredibly gifted singer and compelling entertainer, died at 83.
“Today, the world mourns the peaceful passing of Tina Turner, the esteemed ‘Queen of Rock’n Roll,’ who breathed her last at the age of 83 in her residence located in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland,” said the released official statement.
We are saying goodbye to a great personality and an illustrious role model, and her departure leaves a vacuum in the music world that cannot be filled.
Tina Turner’s passing, who had recently struggled with several health challenges, was a significant loss to the music business. She received an intestinal cancer diagnosis in 2016 and had a kidney transplant in 2017, displaying incredible fortitude the whole time.
Tina Turner’s impact was widespread, especially in promoting the critical contributions made by Black women to the rock and roll genre. She was essential in influencing that period of music, and Mick Jagger freely said that her electric and energetic live performances inspired his stage image.
Tina Turner finally started a solo career after enduring a turbulent relationship with her violent husband, Ike Turner, for two decades. She overcame early obstacles to become legendary in the 1980s music industry, primarily due to her breakthrough record “Private Dancer.”
Three autobiographies, a biography, a jukebox musical, and the highly acclaimed documentary film “Tina,” which was released in 2021, have all documented her incredible life experience.
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939. She grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee, where she distinctly recalls helping her family harvest cotton as a young girl.
She began singing in the neighborhood church choir early, showcasing her vocal abilities. She persuaded Ike to let her join his band in St. Louis, Missouri, as a teenager because of her love for singing. Ike was initially reluctant, and it wasn’t until he saw her captivating performance that he decided to change his mind.
She had taken control of the microphone during a Kings of Rhythm concert and screamed BB King’s soulful classic, “You Know I Love You.”
Ike gave her the name Tina Turner after seeing how talented she was, and he even copyrighted it to stop her from leaving him and maybe replacing her in their act. However, their bond quickly deteriorated and descended into violence.
Turner used a wooden shoe stretcher to physically hit Ike when she tried to leave the group early on after he saw her erratic behavior.
In her moving 2018 book, “My Love Story,” Turner reflected on those tough times and said, “My connection with Ike was bound to collapse from the minute he learned I was going to be his source of money. To ensure I would never escape his grip, he yearned for power over me on a material and emotional level.
Together with Ike, she made her recording debut as Tina Turner in July 1960 with the track “A Fool in Love,” which reached the top of the US Top 30 charts and started their run of moderate chart triumphs.
Nevertheless, their live electric performances propelled them to unprecedented prominence. Ike tirelessly traveled with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, mesmerizing audiences all over the Chitlin’ Circuit and even playing in front of audiences made up of people of different races, which is a testimonial to their enormous commercial appeal. They signed a contract with Loma Records, a Warner Bros. label, in 1964, and their first record to reach the charts was “Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show.”
The group attracted the attention of some crucial players in the world of rock music in the second part of the 1960s. Their 1966 smash song “River Deep – Mountain High” was directed by renowned producer Phil Spector.
They performed in Las Vegas for famous performers, including David Bowie, Sly Stone, Cher, Elvis Presley, and Elton John, and they shared the stage with the Rolling Stones throughout their US and UK tours.
Ike and Tina Turner were chart-topping, Grammy-winning powerhouses throughout the 1970s. But in 1976, Turner ultimately cut connections with Ike, who had repeatedly subjected her to abuse and adultery, ending their fruitful union.
Her last joint hit with the band was “Baby, Get It On,” which was included in the 1975 movie version of the Who’s rock opera “Tommy,” in which she played the role of Acid Queen, which also served as the title of her second solo album.
Only two automobiles and the rights to her stage name were left to Tina Turner following the divorce, officially formalized in 1978. When she looked back on those occasions, she said in the documentary “Tina,” “Ike put up a fight because he understood what I would do with it.”
May Tina Turner’s spirit find everlasting peace as we say goodbye today. Her incredible journey and lasting impact on the music industry will always be loved and honored.
