Queen of Rock & Roll, Dies at 83
The raspy-voiced fireball overcame domestic abuse and industry ambivalence to become one of the most famous entertainers in music history. She scored Billboard Top 40 hits across four decades, earning her Grammys and a Kennedy Center Honor.
Turner married German music entrepreneur Erwin Bach in 1988 and lived with him in Switzerland, where she retired from the entertainment industry. In 2022, her eldest son Craig committed suicide.
Her Music
Tina Turner commanded the spotlight with her husky voice and electric stage presence. Her hits included Proud Mary, Private Dancer and What’s Love Got to Do With It.
Turner’s sexy and bluntly worded songs gelled with the 1980s. She became one of the biggest-selling female artists of her time.
Turner was also a trailblazer on television, launching MTV’s music video format in the early ’80s and collaborating with artists including Mick Jagger and David Bowie. She took on roles as regal and daunting as her stage persona, such as the Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Turner’s drug struggles and complicated relationship with Ike impacted her career. After a battle, she found stability and success with German music executive Erwin Bach. They wed in 2013. The two would receive a Kennedy Center honor and earn several Grammy awards, including eight competitive ones. Turner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — first with Ike in 1991 and later as a solo artist in 2021.
Turner was also a trailblazer on television, launching MTV’s music video format in the early ’80s and collaborating with artists including Mick Jagger and David Bowie. She took on roles as regal and daunting as her stage persona, such as the Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Her Legacy
A fiery soul clad in denim miniskirts showcasing her toned legs and big mane of hair, Tina Turner was a one-of-a-kind talent revered for her music and indomitable spirit. She symbolized talent triumphing over adversity and sparked countless young women to follow in her footsteps.
Her life story would become the basis of a 1993 film starring Angelina Bassett and a Broadway musical still running today. She wrote four memoirs about her pain and struggle and was the subject of a 2021 HBO documentary, Tina.
