Renowned songstress Tina Turner took to the stage on the final evening of her Twenty Four Seven concert tour, captivating the audience at the Arrowhead Pond arena in Anaheim, California on December 6, 2000. [File: Rose Prouser/Reuters]
The iconic songstress behind the hit “What’s Love Got to Do with It” has passed away in Switzerland after a prolonged illness. The multi-talented artist had earned a staggering eight Grammy Awards throughout her illustrious career.
Renowned American vocalist Tina Turner, who rose to fame after escaping a rural upbringing and a tumultuous marriage, has passed away at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most successful recording artists in history.
On Wednesday, in her residence located in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, the representative of the deceased confirmed that she passed away peacefully after a prolonged illness.
In the visual accompaniment to her chart-topping hit, “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” Tina Turner embodied the essence of 1980s fashion as she confidently sauntered through the bustling streets of New York City. With her signature spiky blond locks, the legendary songstress donned a cropped denim jacket, a daring mini-skirt, and sky-high stiletto heels, all while boldly declaring love to be nothing more than a “second-hand emotion.”
Turner’s penchant for musical innovation and candidly expressed balladry seamlessly integrated with the 1980s pop milieu, wherein aficionados of music placed a premium on electronically synthesized sounds while deriding the idealism of the hippie epoch.
Dubbed as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Turner clinched six out of her eight Grammy Awards during the 1980s.
Throughout the course of the decade, she managed to secure a spot on the Top 40 charts with no less than twelve of her songs. Among these chart-toppers were the likes of “Typical Male,” “The Best,” “Private Dancer,” and “Better Be Good to Me.” In 1988, her performance in Rio de Janeiro attracted a staggering 180,000 attendees, solidifying her position as one of the most successful solo performers in history.
A decade had passed since Turner had obtained her freedom from her marriage to guitarist Ike Turner.
The luminary was candid regarding the maltreatment she endured at the hands of her ex-spouse during their matrimonial and melodic collaboration in the 60s and 70s. The victim recounted a harrowing tale of blackened eyes, lacerated lips, a fractured jaw, and various other injuries that necessitated multiple trips to the emergency ward.
According to renowned musician Janet Jackson, Tina Turner’s narrative is not that of a victim, but rather an extraordinary tale of victory. This statement was made in a recent edition of Rolling Stone, which ranked Turner at number 63 among the most exceptional artists of all time.
According to Jackson, she has metamorphosed into a global sensation, exuding an aura of sophistication and strength.
In the year of our Lord 1985, Ms. Turner deftly transformed her public image as a tenacious survivor through the medium of fiction. In the third iteration of the Mad Max series, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, she portrayed the unyielding commander of a post-apocalyptic settlement, sharing the screen with none other than Mel Gibson himself.
Although the majority of Turner’s chart-topping tunes were penned by fellow songwriters, she infused them with a distinct vocal style that was described by esteemed music critic Jon Pareles of The New York Times as “one of the more idiosyncratic instruments in the realm of popular music.”
Rock legends Tina Turner and Mick Jagger were spotted in attendance at the esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York on January 18, 1989. [File: Stringer/Reuters]
In a concert review dating back to 1987, Pareles eloquently described the vocal range as a three-tiered structure, comprising of a nasal low register, a yowling and cutting middle range, and a high register so remarkably clear that it resembles a falsetto.
Anna Mae Bullock, who would later become a renowned musician under the stage name Tina Turner, entered this world on November 26, 1939, in the bucolic Tennessee hamlet of Nutbush. In her 1973 chart-topping hit, “Nutbush City Limits,” Turner poetically characterized her hometown as a “quiet little old community, a one-horse town.”
As per the songstress’s 2018 memoir, My Love Story, her progenitor served as a supervisor on a farmstead, while her matriarch absconded the family unit when the vocalist was a mere 11 years of age. In her adolescent years, she relocated to St. Louis to reunite with her mother.
Ike Turner, the renowned musician credited with producing the groundbreaking rock-and-roll hit, Rocket 88, reportedly stumbled upon a young talent at his St. Louis club performance. The songstress in question, a mere 17 years of age at the time, boldly seized the microphone and belted out a tune that caught Turner’s ear.
Following their collaboration on the chart-topping track “A Fool In Love,” the bandleader and his protégé assumed the moniker Tina Turner, subsequently tying the knot in Tijuana, Mexico.
As per her memoir, Turner departed from her spouse Ike one fateful night in 1976, during a tour stop in Dallas, following a physical altercation that ensued during a car ride, wherein she retaliated against his assault. The dissolution of their marriage was officially concluded in the year of our Lord 1978.
In 1991, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bestowed the honor of induction upon Ike and Tina Turner, lauding them as “one of the most formidable live acts in history.” Renowned musician and former husband of Tina Turner, Ike Turner, passed away in 2007.
Following her separation from her spouse, Turner endured a prolonged period of adversity in her quest to reclaim her former glory. Despite her valiant efforts, her solo albums and singles failed to resonate with audiences, and she resorted to performing at corporate events to make ends meet.
In the year of our Lord 1980, she fortuitously crossed paths with Roger Davies, a seasoned Australian music executive who would go on to deftly guide her career for a remarkable thirty-year span. Following her initial success, she went on to achieve a remarkable feat: a solo number one hit with “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” The year 1984 saw the release of her album, “Private Dancer,” which catapulted her to the pinnacle of the charts.
Private Dancer, ultimately emerged as Turner’s magnum opus, culminating a prolific career that boasted a staggering 200 million records sold.
Renowned rock icons Tina Turner and Mick Jagger were observed in attendance at the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City on January 18, 1989. [image by a Stringer for Reuters]
In the year of our Lord 1985, the iconic songstress Tina Turner crossed paths with the esteemed German music executive Erwin Bach, who would go on to become her steadfast companion for many moons. It was in the year of our Lord 1988 that Turner made the momentous decision to relocate to the bustling metropolis of London, where she would establish a permanent abode and embark upon a lengthy sojourn throughout the continent of Europe. During the 1990s, she unveiled two studio albums that garnered significant commercial success, particularly in Europe. Additionally, she lent her vocal talents to the theme song of the 1995 James Bond film, GoldenEye. Notably, she embarked on a triumphant global tour spanning 2008 and 2009.
Following that, she subsequently retired from the entertainment industry. In a bold move, she tied the knot with Bach, renouncing her American citizenship and embracing Swiss nationality.
Following her retirement, she confronted a series of health complications. In 2018, she was confronted with a family tragedy when her eldest son, Craig, tragically passed away at the age of 59 in Los Angeles. Tragically, in December of 2022, the younger son of the individual in question, Ronnie, passed away.
Bach and two of Ike’s progeny, whom she had taken under her wing, are the surviving heirs of the deceased.
On Wednesday, a plethora of fans, celebrities, and politicians alike offered their heartfelt tributes to the departed singer. US Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan took to Twitter to express her admiration for the recently departed. In her own words, “She was simply the best.”
The demise of Turner has been acknowledged by Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, as “extremely disheartening news” and a “significant setback” for both enthusiasts and the music realm. According to her, the music will endure and persist.
Renowned Canadian musician Bryan Adams also paid tribute to Turner. The camaraderie shared during our time on tour, in the studio, and as confidants is a sentiment that will be eternally cherished. In a recent social media post, the author expressed gratitude towards the individual for serving as a source of motivation to countless individuals worldwide by fearlessly sharing their personal truth and bestowing upon us the invaluable present of their vocal prowess.