Iconic soul-rock powerhouse Tina Turner died Wednesday, May 24, at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland following a long illness. She was 83.
Turner was one of the most electrifying artists/performers to ever hit the stage. She was a hip-shaking force of nature who blew audiences away with her amazing talent and untouchable charisma. She embodied the spirit and freedom of rock and roll with her explosive live performances–first as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and later as a solo artist. Her dynamic stage work and considerable vocal chops earned her the nickname “The Queen of Rock & Roll.” She brought her gritty soul-soaked vocals to classics such as “A Fool In Love,” “Proud Mary,” “River Deep – Mountain High,” "What's Love Got To Do With It,” “I Can’t Stand The Rain” and “The Best.” Turner’s eclectic sound consisted of blues, rock, soul, gospel, pop and new wave.
Turner had a massive impact on the music and entertainment world that’s still strongly felt today. Her influence stretches across generations, genders and music genres. She was a major influence on celebrated artists/performers such as Beyoncé, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, Jennifer Lopez, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Debbie Harry and Bonnie Tyler.
Turner escaping an abusive marriage and building herself back up to become one of the biggest stars on the planet was perhaps the greatest comeback story in modern music history. Her strength, resilience and indomitable spirit were a huge inspiration to women of all races and backgrounds and even motivated some to get out of their abusive relationships. Her story was depicted on the big screen in the acclaimed 1993 biographical film What’s Love Got To With It, starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne–both of whom were nominated for Oscars for their performances.
Turner earned a slew of accolades and awards for her music, including eight Grammys, seven Billboard Awards and three American Music Awards. And she has three songs in the Grammy Hall of Fame and was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, first as part of Ike & Tina Turner in 1991 and later as a solo artist in 2021. Only two other female artists have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Twice: Stevie Nicks and Carole King. And in 2005, Turner received the Kennedy Center Honors award. She also was honored with the Tribute Living Legend Award at the 1993 Essence Awards. And she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986. Turner was also the first woman as well as the first black person to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The issue was published in 1967.
The legendary artist has sold more than 150 million records worldwide and had six top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. And her 1984 album Private Dancer has sold more than 12 million copies globally. It topped Billboard’s R&B album chart and peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The collection reaped three top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the chart-topping “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” which sold two million copies. Private Dancer also saw significant chart action overseas. It landed in the top 10 in a number of countries, including a few in the top spot. The album won four Grammys and has made several best-albums-of-all-time lists of noted music publications.
Her follow-up Break Every Rule (1986) was also a huge success, with sales of more than five million copies worldwide. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #7 on Billboard’s R&B album chart. It rose to #2 on the UK album chart, and it reigned atop Germany’s album chart for a whopping 12 weeks. It also made the top 10 in a number of other countries. And the album’s hard-rocking single “Back Where You Started” earned Turner her third consecutive Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. (In all, she won four Grammys in that category.) Her next three albums were also big platinum sellers.
In 1988, Turner set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer. It was for a record-breaking date in Rio De Janeiro during her Break Every Rule World Tour.
Turner also had a brief stint as an actor. She co-starred with Mel Gibson in the sci-fi/action film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). And she played the Acid Queen in the satirical fantasy drama Tommy (1975), which was based on the Who’s 1969 rock opera of the same name. Turner also had a cameo role in the Arnold Schwarzennegger fantasy/ action comedy Last Action Hero (1993).
Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee. She was the youngest daughter of Floyd Richard Bullock and his wife Zelma Priscilla. The family lived in the nearby rural unincorporated Nutbush, Tennessee where her father worked as an overseer of sharecroppers at Poindexter Farm. As she got older, she began picking cotton with her family. Turner began showing an interest in music at an early age. When she was 11, she started singing in the choir at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Nutbush. She met Ike Turner when she was 17 at a St. Louis nightclub. Ike’s band the Kings of Rhythm were performing one night, and Turner got a hold of a microphone and began singing B.B. King’s blues ballad “You Know I Love You.” Ike was so impressed with what he heard that he made Turner a featured singer in his band. And the rest as they say is history.
Turner was a rare talent and a true original. Her music and performances have touched millions and will continue to do so. She became an emblem of resilience and strength who overcame incredible odds to achieve her great success. Her story of breaking free from an abusive relationship was a huge inspiration to many domestic abuse survivors around the world. Her legacy will forever live on through her music, clips of her phenomenal performances, and her powerful story of survival.
Ike & Tina Turner Revue performing "Proud Mary" on an Italian TV show in 1971
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