Tina Turner was one of the bestselling recording artists of all time, known for her hits including “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
- Died: May 24, 2023 (Who else died on May 24?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Kusnacht, Switzerland after a long illness at the age of 83.
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Tina Turner’s legacy
Turner was the superstar singer called “The Queen of Rock and Roll.” Starting out with her husband, Ike Turner (1931–2007), she was the star of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, known for their electric live show. They recorded funk rock hits such as their cover of “Proud Mary” as well as “River Deep – Mountain High,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, and “Poor Fool.” Their 1973 hit “Nutbush City Limits” was written by Turner about her hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee, where she grew up poor in a farming family.
Born Anna Mae Bullock, Turner had a young life full of upheaval after her mother left her abusive marriage – and left her children behind – when Turner was 11. When her father remarried, she was sent to live with her grandmother, then joined her mother in St. Louis after her grandmother’s death. It was there that she met Ike Turner when she was still a teen, seeing him perform in a nightclub and becoming enchanted with his singing. When he heard her vocals, the feeling became mutual, and he asked her to join his band.
A few years after their musical partnership began, they also entered into a romantic relationship. Turner took Ike’s last name long before they were married, and he gave her a new first name as well. Nearly as soon as their relationship started, his now-famous abuse followed. Turner later revealed that for the decade and a half they were together, he regularly beat her and cheated on her, even as they shone together onstage. In 1976, she left him, running away from a hotel where they were staying while on tour.
With their musical partnership coming to an abrupt end as she left, Turner embarked on a solo career. It wasn’t immediately successful, though she found opportunities to appear on TV and play onstage in Las Vegas and elsewhere.
That changed with Turner’s multi-platinum 1984 solo album, “Private Dancer.” The album mixed rock, pop, and soul, and it featured the No. 1 single “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” as well as the hits “Better Be Good to Me” and “Private Dancer.” Showcasing Turner’s powerful vocals, the album sold 10 million copies, and “What’s Love Got to Do with It” was honored with a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
The next year, Turner followed the success of “Private Dancer” with two hits from the soundtrack to “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome:” “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and “One of the Living.” She also starred in the movie, playing the ruthless post-apocalyptic leader Aunty Entity. Her performance received positive reviews, and though it didn’t kick off an extensive acting career, she did appear in a small role in the 1993 movie “The Last Action Hero.”
Turner continued releasing singles throughout the 1980s, ‘90s, and ‘2000s. Notable hits included “Typical Male,” “What You Get Is What You See,” and “The Best.” In 1993, the autobiographical film “What’s Love Got to Do with It” was released, starring Angela Bassett as Turner. Turner recorded vocals for the film’s music, both rerecordings of classics and new songs.
Widely honored, Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a duo with Ike Turner, and she was inducted again as a solo artist in 2021. The winner of eight competitive Grammy Awards, she was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and she received the Kennedy Center Honors. Turner’s unmistakable voice was only one of her memorable features; she is also remembered for her wild hair and her long legs, as well as for her triumph over abuse. Hers is one of the great survival stories of American pop culture.
Notable quote
“I didn’t have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life.”
Tributes to Tina Turner
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
