Tina Turner: A Salute to the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll
‘Sometimes you’ve got to let
everything go – purge yourself.
If you are unhappy with anything…
whatever is
bringing you down, get rid of it.
Because you’ll find that when
you’re free, your true creativity,
your true self comes out.’
On May 24th, 2023, we bid farewell to a legend. Tina Turner, the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, tenacity, and groundbreaking music, becoming a defining icon of the 80s.
Born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, her journey from Nutbush, Tennessee to the pinnacle of global stardom was far from easy, yet it’s this journey that has made her an enduring symbol of strength. Tina’s publicist Bernard Doherty said on a statement Wednesday night: “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. With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”
Turner told in an interview in 2020 that the last ten years of her life had embodied her ideal vision of happiness, despite having some serious health issues.
“True and lasting happiness comes from having an unshakeable, hopeful spirit that can shine, no matter what. That’s what I’ve achieved, and it is my greatest wish to help others become truly happy as well.”
Widely referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer.
Tina Turner Official Concert from “Break Every Rule” Tour – Live In London’s Camden Palace
(Club – Le Zero) In November, 1986 DVD/ VHS version
Throughout her career, Turner won a total of 12 Grammys and was a two-time inductee into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, as a solo artist and as part of the duo she formed with ex-husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960s. She was the first woman to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone and a record breaker – previously holding the Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience for a solo performer, attracting an audience of 180,000 for her show at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1988.
After her divorce from Ike Turner in 1978, she went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s. Her album Private Dancer was released in 1984 and was a triumph, both critically and commercially. It sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and won three Grammy Awards. Some of her biggest hits include Proud Mary, Nutbush City Limits, The Best, We Don’t Need Another Hero, and What’s Love Got To Do With It.
In 1986, she published her first memoir, which became a worldwide bestseller and was later adapted into the 1993 movie ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’ with Angela Bassett portraying Turner. Two years later she sang the theme anthem to the James Bond film Golden Eye. Turner made her retirement announcement in 2000, a year after she released her last solo album: ‘Twenty Four Seven’. However, she would returned in 2008, performing with Beyonce at the Grammy Awards and for a final tour to commemorate half a century of her career. In 2019, she told New York Times: “I was just tired of singing and making everybody happy. That’s all I’d ever done in my life.”
You have inspired and made us very happy, and for this, we will be eternally thankful.
Rest in Peace, Tina.
