Tina Turner: Remembering the pop icon behind 'Proud Mary' and many more
Her legacy will live on ❤️
Tina Turner was an absolute icon. Starting her career as a 60s soul sensation who bounced back in the 70s to become a pop music superstar in the 80s. She had so many hits over the years, but some of her most notable songs include the Bonnie Tyler cover '(Simply) The Best', 'Nutbush City Limits' and 'River Deep – Mountain High'.
As arguably one of the most electrifying female soul singers ever, the world of music was saddened by the news that Tina sadly passed away at the age of 83 in May 2023. Here, we celebrate the release of 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' and her special editions of her soundtrack album 'What's Love Got To Do With It', along with Tina Turner's life and career as we remember her biggest moments.
Tina Turner passed away
Tina died on Wednesday 24th May 2023 after a long illness, passing away "peacefully" in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland as confirmed by her publicist, Bernard Doherty.
He said in a statement: "With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model. With her music and her inexhaustible vitality, Tina Turner thrilled millions of fans and inspired many artists of subsequent generations."
A further statement posted on Instagram celebrated Tina's music and 'boundless passion for life', with many fans flocking to the comments to share their sadness, respect and best wishes for her family.
Where was Tina from?
Brownsville, Tennessee in the US. She later became a citizen of Switzerland, and gave up her American citizenship in October 2013.
When was her birthday?
Tina's birthday was 26th November 1939. She was 83-years-old when she passed away.
What was Tina Turner's real name?
Tina was born Annie Mae Bullock, but became Tina Turner after her then-husband Ike Turner came up with a "lead singer persona" for his band, Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm, based on comic book heroine Sheena, Queen of the Jungle - using his own surname and the name Tina as it rhymed.
How did Tina Turner become famous?
Career beginnings: The Ike and Tina Turner Revue
Scoring an early hit with 'A Fool In Love' in 1960, Ike and Tina Turner earned a GRAMMY Award nomination for their second hit, 'It's Gonna Work Out Fine'. However, they were best known as a live act. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue cut their teeth as a dynamic live draw on the chittlin' circuit, and they were eventually spotted by producer Phil Spector.
1965: 'River Deep – Mountain High'
With Tina Turner in front of the mic, Phil produced the 1965 monumental 'River Deep – Mountain High'. Surprisingly , the single flopped in the States, but landed in the Top 3 in the UK.
They then reached a wider audience in the US by supporting The Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour. Their two biggest hits, a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Proud Mary' (1971) and their own 'Nutbush City Limits' (1973) followed.
1976: Tina and Ike split
Despite her appearing as The Acid Queen in Ken Russell's movie version of The Who's 'Tommy', Ike and Tina Turner's fortunes were on the wane. Ike's drug problems had escalated and their marriage was marred by domestic violence. She left him in 1976 and the couple eventually divorced in 1978, with Tina holding on to her stage name.
Tina played Las Vegas and made some less successful albums. By the time the 80s rolled by, it looked as if Tina Turner's career was over.
1982: The British Electronic Foundation
Tina Turner's comeback started thanks to the most unlikely of collaborations. In 1982, she hooked up with Heaven 17 members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh for their B.E.F. project (British Electronic Foundation). Their cover of The Temptations' 'Ball Of Confusion' secured her a deal with Capitol. Her new single, a cover of Al Green's 'Let Stay Together', was produced by Martyn Ware, and he and Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory backed her when she debuted the song on 80s pop show 'The Tube'.
1984: ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’
The album that followed, 'Private Dancer', propelled Tina Turner into the mainstream and turned her into a global star. The single, 'What's Love Got To Do With It', was a worldwide smash hit. The album would go on to spawn some of her best-known singles including the title track and a cover of Ann Peebles' 'I Can't Stand The Rain'.
1985: Starring in Max Max Beyond Thunderdome
The success of the album helped to secure her second film role. Travelling to Australia, she starred as Aunty Entity alongside Mel Gibson in the 1985 post-apocalyptic action movie, Max Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Recording two songs for the film's soundtrack, 'We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)' became a massive international hit, securing a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song and a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It was also nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.
1989: '(Simply) The Best'
She followed up 'Private Dancer' with 'Break Every Rule' in 1986, which featured the singles 'Typical Male', 'Two People' and 'What You Get Is What You See'. In 1989 Tina Turner released the ever-popular '(Simply) The Best'. It's one of her most iconic songs.
1993: What's Love Got To Do With It film
Tina's autobiography, I, Tina, was made into a film in 1993, borrowing its title from one of her most famous songs. Detailing her rise to fame and abusive marriage to Ike, the film starred Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as Ike, with Angela winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Tina also sang a Bond song, 'GoldenEye', for the 1995 film. The song had been written by The Edge and Bono from U2, who specifically had Tina in mind as the vocalist.
2000: Retirement
Tina embarked on the 'Twenty Four Seven Tour' in 2000, and at a concert in Zürich, Switzerland, she announced that she'd be retiring at the end of the tour. However, at the GRAMMYs in 2008, Tina took to the stage in a performance alongside Beyoncé, and went on her 'Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour', before retiring from performing in 2009.
2018: The Tina Turner musical
A jukebox musical based on Tina's life, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, opened in London in April 2018, starring Adrienne Warren as Tina (pictured together here on the stage on opening night). Tina also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
2020: Happiness Becomes You and UK Top 40 hit across 7 decades
In August 2020 Tina announced her third book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, which was published in December 2020.
The singer also reached a new music milestone after Kygo's remix of 'What's Love Got to Do with It' came out in July 2020, and Tina became the first artist to have a Top 40 hit across seven consecutive decades in the UK.
2021: Tina Documentary
With footage from interviews and performances over the years, Tina was able to tell her story in the Tina documentary film. It aired in the UK in March 2021 and shows the performer's incredible life, from her early career with Ike Turner, her marriage and achieving global stardom with record-breaking sell-out tours.
2021: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In October 2021, Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Angela Bassett, who portrayed Tina in the 1993 film about her life What's Love Got To Do With It?
In her speech, Angela said: "Now let us remember, Tina is already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from her earlier work with Ike Turner. However, what brings us here tonight is Tina's journey to independence. For Tina, hope triumphed over hate. Faith won over fear. And ambition eclipsed adversity."
Also in October 2021, Tina sold the rights to her music to BMG. She said of the deal: "Like any artist, the protection of my life's work, my musical inheritance, is something personal. I am confident that with BMG and Warner Music my work is in professional and reliable hands."
2022: Kristina Love joins the cast of the Tina Turner musical
As Tina - The Tina Turner Musical continued its West End run at the Aldwych Theatre, producers announced that Kristina Love was joining the production as Tina herself from 4th October 2022. Having played the role in Germany, Kristina shared the role with Elesha Paul Moses.
She said of joining the show: "I am so excited and humbled to revisit such a wonderful role, having previously played Tina in the Hamburg production. After having met her on my birthday in 2018, performing with her and receiving her blessing at the Hamburg opening, I count it a great honour to be entrusted with performing her life story. I am grateful to be continuing my Tina journey at the same time as making my West End debut, and I can't wait to join such an amazing and talented cast at the Aldwych Theatre."
2024: 'What’s Love Got to Do With It' (30th Anniversary Edition)
On 26th April 2024, 'What's Love Got to Do With It' (30th Anniversary Edition) was released. The brand new collection featured the fully remastered album, single edits, remixes and rarities. The box edition also included the full Live from San Bernardino show in 1993, on CD/DVD for the first time, plus a poster and 24-page booklet.
WATCH: Tina Turner perform '(Simply) The Best' at Wembley
Did Tina Turner work with other artists?
She did. Tina duetted with David Bowie on a cover of Iggy Pop’s ‘Tonight’, performed with Mick Jagger at Live Aid in Philadelphia and also made history when she performed to an audience of 180,000 alongside Paul McCartney at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. U2 also wrote the James Bond theme, ‘Goldeneye’ for her.
Have there been any biographies of Tina Turner?
Tina's memoirs, ‘I, Tina’, formed the basis of the biopic ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne played Ike and Tina Turner and both received Oscar nominations for their performances. In February 2024 it was announced that the soundtrack from that film would be released a special edition including some unreleased tracks.
In April 2018, ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’ opened in London’s West End. Speaking of the musical, Tina said: "It's really important to me to have the chance to share my full story. I am so happy that London, a city that means so much to me, is going to be where we stage the World Premiere of my new musical!"
Quite right, too. And with an incredible career to draw from, it really captured why Tina Turner was simply the best.
Tina's family
Tina had two sons - Raymond Craig and Ronnie Turner. Sadly, Raymond passed away in 2018 and Ronnie died in 2022. Through Ronnie, Tina had two grandchildren.
Who plays Tina in the Tina Turner Musical?
In Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre in London, Tina is played by singer and actress Kristina Love , who chatted to us about her experience bringing Tina's story to the stage.
She said: "For me it's been an absolute honour. I love Tina Turner as a person. I'm blessed to have spent time with her and she's just a wonderful human being. As well to have the honour of playing her on stage every night and transporting her story to a new generation of people actually that are coming into the theatres that are coming with their family. It's really an honour."
As well as watching the musical's premiere, Tina met with Kristina, who revealed what happened when they got together: "She did everything to make sure I was comfortable and I felt safe. And I was supposed to ask her all the questions and then she just took over the interview was like, 'where are you from?', she just wanted to know everything about me. And that speaks for her humility and just who she is as a human being."
Is there a Tina Turner film?
There sure is. The 2021 film Tina told the story of the performer’s incredible life, from her early career with Ike and Tina Turner Revue, her suffering at the hands of her former husband and achieving global stardom and record-breaking sell-out tours. The documentary film came out in the UK on 28th March 2021 on Sky Documentaries and Now TV.
Tina's last performance
Tina's last performance was at Sheffield Arena in 2009, the final date of the Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. The singer subsequently dealt with a number health issues.
Tina also said she wanted to come completely out of the spotlight after the release of her film Tina, describing the documentary film as a farewell to fans.
Tina Turner in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Tina Turner was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 along with her then-husband Ike Turner. However, she also received a solo induction in October 2021 for her work as a solo artist.
In the ceremony, Tina was inducted by Angela Bassett who portrayed her in the 1993 film What's Love Got To Do With It?. Angela gave a speech about the music icon and said: "Now let us remember, Tina is already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from her earlier work with Ike Turner. However, what brings us here tonight is Tina’s journey to independence. For Tina, hope triumphed over hate. Faith won over fear. And ambition eclipsed adversity.”
Tina Turner's 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll'
In October 2023 it was announced that a new album would be released in November 2023 called 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll'. The album - which has since been certified Silver - features 55 songs from Tina's amazing career, as well as some duets. The album also includes a foreword from her long-time friend and collaborator Bryan Adams.
Tina Turner's debut album 'Tina Turns The Country On!'
'Tina Turns The Country On!' celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024 and will be reissued to celebrate, along with some other early albums from the singer. Released between 1974 and 1979, the albums 'Tina Turns The Country On!', 'Acid Queen’, ‘Rough’ and ‘Love Explosion’ paved the way for Tina's breakthrough album 'Private Dancer', which became a Number 2 hit in the UK.
You can hear Tina Turner's amazing hits on Magic.
Now read:
Tina Turner dies at 83 after long illness
10 huge moments from Tina Turner's incredible career
Tina Turner bids an emotional final farewell to fans in new documentary