Tina Turner, the rock and soul singer who came from humble beginnings and overcame a notoriously abusive marriage to become one of the most popular female artists of all time, died on Wednesday (24), at the age of 83.
“With her, the world loses a music legend and an example,” her family said. “With her music and her limitless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us her greatest work: her music. All our sincere compassion goes to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly,” reads a statement on her Facebook page.
Story of Struggle, Abuse, and Success
She was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, the daughter of poor farmers, in a rural community north of Memphis, Tennessee, which she later made famous in her autobiographical song, “Nutbush City Limits.” She spent her early years living with her grandmother after her parents separated.
After her grandmother’s death in the 1950s, Turner and her sister Ruby moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to live with their mother.
It was in St. Louis that she began visiting some local clubs and met musician Ike Turner, whose band, Kings of Rhythm, was popular in the area. He recruited her at 17 to join his band as a singer.
“Ike had to come to my house and ask Ma (mother) if I could sing with him. He knew I had the potential to be a star. We were close, like brother and sister,” Turner recalled. “On his days off, we would drive around the city and he would tell me about his life, his dreams. He told me that when he was young, people thought he was unattractive. That really hurt him. I felt bad for him. I thought, ‘I will never hurt you, Ike.’ He was so nice to me back then, but I saw the other side of him.”
She began performing as Tina Turner, and in 1960, they formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Their relationship evolved, and they had a son, Ronnie, born the same year. They married in 1962 and raised four children, including two sons from Ike’s previous relationships and Tina’s son, Craig, also from a previous relationship.
But Tina recounted in her autobiography and interviews that her husband’s physical abuse began almost from the start of their relationship.
Ike Turner had violent outbursts at the slightest provocation, she said, adding that he hit her with whatever was available – hangers, phones, a wooden shoe stretcher, his fists. Often, she said, he even hit her before they went on stage.
Tina sang most of her songs with the help of backup singers, while her husband remained in the background, usually on guitar. Their musical partnership produced a string of R&B hits, including “A Fool In Love,” “Nutbush City Limits,” and “Proud Mary,” her 1971 cover of a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which reached number four on the pop charts and earned them a Grammy.
But offstage, their marriage remained tumultuous, fueled in part by Ike Turner’s cocaine addiction.
She stayed with him for over a decade, terrified of his temper and determined not to abandon him like others had. But things came to a head in July 1976, when he nearly ran her over. That was when she decided enough was enough.
Tina and Ike formally divorced in 1978 after a lengthy legal battle. She wrote in her book that he retained most of the earnings and assets they had gained as a couple while she took care of their four children. The divorce nearly ruined her financially, and in the following years, she struggled to rebuild her career.
Her comeback began in 1979 when Rod Stewart invited her to perform “Hot Legs” with him on “Saturday Night Live.” Two years later, in 1983, her cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” became a hit in England.
Then came “Private Dancer,” which earned her three Grammys and sold over 10 million copies. Although she initially did not like the song and had to be convinced to record it, “What’s Love Got to Do With It” made her, at 44, the oldest female artist to achieve a number 1 hit worldwide.
Successful albums, singles, and sold-out shows continued throughout the 80s and 90s.
Turner moved to Switzerland in the 1990s with her German boyfriend Erwin Bach, an executive at her record label. He was 16 years younger. The couple married in 2013 after a 27-year romantic relationship, and in 2022, they bought a $76 million property on Lake Zurich.
“I left America because my (biggest) success was in another country and my boyfriend was in another country. Europe has supported my music a lot,” she said.
Ike and Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and she as a solo artist in 2021. “Tina,” a musical based on her life story, premiered on Broadway in 2018.
Tina lost two sons, Craig, who died in 2018, and Ronnie, in 2022.
“Some of the happiest moments of my life were the births of my beautiful boys, Craig and Ronnie, and my marriage to my partner and soulmate, Erwin Bach,” she told NBC’s Today Show in 2021.
Professionally, she said, her happiest moments were performing live.
“One of my early career goals was to become the first black woman to sell out stadiums around the world,” she told NBC. “At the time, it seemed impossible. But I never gave up, and I am very happy to have achieved that dream.
Source: CNN