Persecuted before becoming a famous legend, Tina Turner in memories
BERN: The legendary star, Tina Turner who was quite famous for the songs ‘The Best’ and ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’ has died at the age of 83 years.
In recent years, this woman who was born on November 26, 1939 has faced health problems including cancer, stroke and kidney failure.
Retracing this star’s artistic journey, Turner rose to popularity with ex-husband Ike Turner in the 1960s with songs such as ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘River Deep, Mountain High’.
Born in Tennessee, United States (US), Turner first got a role as one of the background singers for the group The Kings of Rhythm in 1956 before becoming the group’s lead singer.
The couple were married for 16 years before divorcing in 1978.
Through a biography titled ‘I, Tina: My Life Story’, Turner admitted going through difficult experiences while in the marriage period.
“Several times he used my nose as a target when hitting me so I could feel the blood running down my throat while singing,” she wrote.
Turner and Ike gained popularity after the success of ‘Fool in Love’ and ‘It’s Gonna Work Out Fine’ which topped the US charts in the early 60s.
Among the couple’s popular songs include ‘Nutbush City Limits’ in 1973 which tells the story of the small town where Tina was born.
However, her husband’s physical and emotional abuse of Turner turned out to have a big impact.
In fact, Ike also changed the original name, Anna Mae Bullock, to Tina Turner which is said to be one of the decisions made without the woman’s knowledge.
COME OUT OF REPRESSION, FORGE WORLDWIDE POPULARITY
Turner rose from domestic failures by building a career in the early 80s and 90s with hits like ‘Let’s Stay Together’, ‘Steamy Windows’, ‘Private Dancer’, ‘Golden Eye’ (James Bond theme song), ‘I Don’t Wanna Fight’ and ‘It Takes Two’, a duet with Rod Stewart.
She also starred in the 1985 action film ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ which also featured his hit song ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ and The Who’s 1975 rock opera ‘Tommy’ as Acid Queen.
The world knows Tina Turner as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll and her greatness is proven after winning eight Grammy Awards and even being immortalized in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 based on her contribution to the music industry.
The Hall of Fame also sees Turner’s prowess in expanding the previously limited idea of how a black woman can conquer the entertainment stage and become a multi-dimensional individual.
Some of the famous music stars inspired by Turner include Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae and Rihanna.
HAPPY ENDING
Turner found happiness with her second husband, German Erwin Bac who was a music executive.
They started dating in the mid-80s and got married in 2013.
The couple settled in Switzerland and Turner decided to take up citizenship of that country.
Due to Turner suffering from kidney failure, Bac donated one of his kidneys to Turner in 2017.
The life story of this tough woman was also inspired in a biopic film titled ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ in 1993, for which actress Angela Bassett was nominated for an Oscar.
Bassett was also the subject of a documentary on the HBO channel titled ‘Tina’ in 2021.
In an interview with Marie Claire South Africa in 2018, Turner said, “People think my life is hard, but I think it’s been a beautiful journey.
“The older we get, the more we realize that it’s not something that happens, but how we overcome it,” she said.
