Tina Turner dead at 83: Queen of rock ‘n’ roll dies after long illness as tributes pour in for iconic singer
ICONIC singer Tina Turner, recognized as the Queen of rock ‘n’ roll, has died at age 83 after a glittering career that spanned five decades.
Tina, who rose to prominence during the 1960s as the lead singer of the St. Louis duo Ike & Tina Turner, died on Wednesday, a rep confirmed.
“Tina Turner, the ‘Queen of Rock’n Roll’ has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland,” the rep said in a statement.
“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.
“Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Nutbush, Tennessee, USA. She became famous in the late 60s as the singer of the band Ike & Tina Turner Revue, but later she became successful worldwide as a solo artist,” they continued.
“With her music and her inexhaustible vitality, Tina Turner thrilled millions of fans and inspired many artists of subsequent generations.
“Global hits like ‘What’s Love Got To Do With it’, ‘Private Dancer’ and ‘The Best’, more than 180 million albums sold, 12 Grammy Awards, and over three decades of sold-out stadium tours around the world are just part of her unique legacy.”
The rep added: “There will be a private funeral ceremony attended by close friends and family.”
“Please respect the privacy of her family at this difficult time. Further press inquiries will not be answered.”
Roger Davies, Tina Turner’s manager of 30 years, also paid tribute to the star, saying: “Tina was a unique and remarkable force of nature with her strength, incredible energy and immense talent.”
“From the first day I met her in 1980, she believed in herself completely when few others did at that time.”
“It was a privilege and an honor to have been a close friend as well as her manager for more than 30 years,” Davies continued.
Tina was also active on social media, and her Instagram page, which holds over 954,000 followers, also issued an official on her passing.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the post read.
“With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow.”
The post continued: “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music.”
“All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”
EARLY LIFE
Tina, born Anna Mae Bullock, had a troubling childhood filled with poverty and mystery, picking cotton in the field around Nutbush, .
Her mother, Zelma, suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her father, Floyd Bullock, before they both abandoned her as a child.
The singer suffered years of ill-treatment at the hands of her ex-love and music partner, Ike – whom she married in 1962.
Tina finally fled her abusive marriage in July 1976 with just 36 cents in her pocket.
Looking back, she later alleged that her relationship with Ike was physically abusive, and in her memoir, My Love Story, Tina described feeling reluctant to wed, writing: “(Arguing) would just make him mad, and that might lead to a beating.
Adding: “I definitely didn’t want a black eye on my wedding day.”
She then claimed that he forced her to go to a brothel as the couple watched a live sex show.
“The experience was so disturbing that I suppressed it, scratched it out, and created a different scenario,” she said.
“People can’t imagine the kind of man he was – a man who takes his brand new wife to a live, pornographic sex show right after their marriage ceremony.”
In the 1980s, Tina met and married Erwin Bach, a German music executive who met the singer-songwriter when he went to pick her up from the airport while working for EMI, the European branch of Turner’s record label.
The two quickly became friends and later developed a romantic relationship.
They married in 2013 in Switzerland.
MOTHERHOOD
Tina had four children — her first son was Raymond Craig Turner with former bandmate Raymond Hill, later adopted by her first husband Ike Turner.
He then changed his name to Craig Raymond Turner, and sadly died aged 59 on July 3, 2018 when he was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Studio City, California.
Tina later commented on her son’s death, noting loneliness as a contributing factor to the horrific situation.
“I think Craig was lonely, that’s what I think really got him more than anything else,” she told .
“I have pictures all around of him smiling, and I think I’m sensing that he’s in a good place. I really do.”
Tina also adopted Ike’s two sons, Ike Jr. and Michael, from his previous relationship.
And the pair had one child together, Ronnie Turner., who played bass guitar for a number of his mother’s tours.
On December 8, 2022, the 62-year-old was pronounced dead after paramedics rushed to Ronnie’s home in San Fernando Valley, California.
It was later confirmed that the cause of death was due to complications with colon cancer, per the .
Tina took to Instagram to issue a tribute to her son after his death.
“Ronnie, you left the world far too early. In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son,” she .
CAREER RESURGENCE
After a few appearances on TV shows, Tina re-emerged in the music scene with a sexier image and costumes in the 1980s.
A career resurgence came in late 1983 when she released her cover of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together.
The cover skyrocketed to No.1 on the Hot Dance Songs in the US.
The successful single green-lit her debut album under Capitol Records – Private Dancer, launched in May 1984, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
The album was certified five times platinum in the .
Tina went on several tours in the 1990s and released her ninth album, Wildest Dreams, in 1996.
In 2000, Tina embarked on her One Last Time tour, which was the highest-grossing of the year at $80.2 million, per data collected by .
It was also filmed and released as a documentary.
Broadway highlighted the music legend in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which opened in November 2019, per .
Additionally, in 2021, HBO Max released a five-act documentary film on Tina’s life and music career.
It was critically acclaimed, featuring interviews and never-before-seen footage, and still sits at a 91% approval score on .
