The world of music has lost one of its most iconic and influential figures. Tina Turner, the legendary singer who rose to fame in the 1960s with her ex-husband Ike Turner and later reinvented herself as a solo superstar in the 1980s, has died at the age of 83 after a long illness. She passed away peacefully in her home in Switzerland, according to a statement on her official Facebook page.
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Nutbush, Tennessee. She began her singing career as a teenager, joining Ike Turner's band The Kings of Rhythm in St. Louis. She soon became the lead singer and the band changed its name to The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Together, they recorded several hit songs, such as "Proud Mary", "River Deep - Mountain High" and "Nutbush City Limits". However, their relationship was marred by Ike's physical and emotional abuse, which Tina endured for years until she finally left him in 1976.
Tina Turner's solo career took off in the early 1980s, when she signed with Capitol Records and released her breakthrough album Private Dancer. The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide and spawned four top 10 singles, including "What's Love Got to Do with It", which won her three Grammy Awards. She became one of the biggest stars of the decade, selling out stadiums and arenas around the world with her electrifying live performances. She also starred in the movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and wrote her autobiography I, Tina, which was adapted into the film What's Love Got to Do with It.
Tina Turner continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s and 2000s, releasing albums such as Foreign Affair, Wildest Dreams and Twenty Four Seven. She also collaborated with artists such as Bryan Adams, David Bowie and Mick Jagger. In 2008, she embarked on her final world tour, which was seen by over a million fans. In 2013, she became a Swiss citizen and married her longtime partner Erwin Bach. She retired from public life and focused on her health and spirituality.
Tina Turner was widely regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time, as well as a trailblazer for women and Black artists in rock and roll. She won 12 Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. She sold over 200 million records worldwide and influenced generations of musicians with her powerful voice, charismatic stage presence and distinctive style.
Tina Turner is survived by her husband Erwin Bach, her sons Craig and Ronnie Turner, her stepsons Afida and Giorgio Bach, and her grandchildren. Her fans and fellow artists have expressed their condolences and tributes on social media, remembering her as a legend, a queen and simply the best.
