MusicTina Turner: 1939-2023

Tina Turner, legendary rock’n’roll singer, dies aged 83

Singer, who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016, was one of rock’s most famous voices with hits including The Best and Proud Mary

Tina Turner performs on stage at Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands in November 1990. Photograph: Rob Verhorst/Redferns

Wed May 24 2023 - 21:28

Singer Tina Turner, one of rock’s most famous voices who had hits including Proud Mary and The Best, has died at the age of 83 after a long illness, her publicist Bernard Doherty said on Wednesday.

In a career spanning more than 60 years, the American-Swiss singer, who was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, won eight competitive Grammy Awards and has a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St Louis Walk of Fame.

Turner died “peacefully” on Wednesday after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her publicist. “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” a statement read. “With her music and her inexhaustible vitality, Tina Turner thrilled millions of fans and inspired many artists of subsequent generations.”

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The statement added that a private funeral ceremony, attended by close friends and family, would be held, and that further press inquiries would not be answered.

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Tina Turner performs at Madison Square Garden, New York, in April 2000. Photograph: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

Roger Davies, the singer’s manager of 30 years, paid tribute to the star, saying: “Tina was a unique and remarkable force of nature with her strength, incredible energy and immense talent.

“From the first day I met her in 1980, she believed in herself completely when few others did at that time.It was a privilege and an honour to have been a close friend as well as her manager for more than 30 years. I will miss her deeply.”

Her autobiography, I, Tina, was turned into the 1993 film What’s Love Got To Do With It, dramatising the mother-of-two’s famously turbulent relationship with Ike Turner and it also saw Angela Bassett nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Tina in the biopic.

Turner, widely referred to as the Queen of Rock and Roll, wed her long-time German beau, the music executive Erwin Bach, in a Swiss civil ceremony in 2013 and has lived in Switzerland with him since 1994.

It was a second marriage for the music star, who was previously married to musician Ike from 1962 to 1978. In her 1986 book, the singer narrated a harrowing tale of abuse, including suffering a broken nose during the course of her marriage to Ike.

Ike died in December 2007 and Tina’s spokeswoman at the time was quoted as saying: “Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made.”

She had suffered ill-health in recent years, being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and having a kidney transplant in 2017.

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In autobiography Tina Turner: My Love Story, published in 2018, she revealed that Bach saved her life by donating one of his kidneys.

Her famous track list over the years includes the Bond theme track for 1995′s GoldenEye, with a tune of the same name co-written by Bono and The Edge of U2 fame, and other tracks include We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome), What’s Love Got to Do With It, Private Dancer, Let’s Stay Together and many more.

In 2008 she duetted at the Grammys with Beyonce for a rendition of Proud Mary which featured both the powerful singers, in sparkly outfits, mirroring each other’s choreography.

Other notable duets through her career included performing with David Bowie and in 1985 she took to the stage with The Rolling Stones’ Sir Mick Jagger during Live Aid.

Last year, Turner said following her son Ronnie’s death at the age of 62 that he “left the world far too early”.

Her other biological son, Craig Raymond Turner, died aged 59 in 2018.

In 2005, former US president George W Bush famously described her legs as “the most famous in showbusiness” and it was reported she insured them for hundreds of millions of US dollars.

A musical based on her life, titled Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, opened on London’s West End in 2018.

Her career spanned more than music, with her starring in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome alongside Mel Gibson and she also appeared in 1993′s Last Action Hero.

In 2021 she sold the rights to her back catalogue after reaching an agreement with BMG for an undisclosed sum, signing over her share of her recordings, her music publishing writer’s share and her name, image and likeness, the company said.

Her solo works include 10 studio albums, two live albums, two soundtracks and five compilations, which together have sold more than 100 million records.

Singer Rick Astley hailed Tina Turner as “one of the greats” in his own online tribute.

“What a woman, what a life, what a voice!” he tweeted.

“One of the GREATS! Such sad news. R.I.P.”

Singer Paloma Faith hailed Tina Turner as being one of her “greatest influences and inspirations”.

Faith wrote on Instagram: “I can’t even begin. Really, I can’t. Tina you were probably one of my greatest influences and inspirations. I grew up with you in the background of my childhood and all through my time learning my craft I always returned to you.

“I am forever grateful I saw you live several times. I am forever in awe of your soul fire and energy. No one comes close.

“Thank you for all the gifts you gave me, and us, as women, to be empowered and stand up for ourselves and be counted by turning our pain into a force of nature. You really were incredible… RIP”.

Aldwych Theatre, the current home of the West End show Tina The Musical depicting the late singer’s life on her journey from her humble beginnings into a rock ‘n roll star, said it was “so proud to tell her story”.

The theatre tweeted: “Rest in peace Tina Turner, Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“We are so proud to tell her story on our stage and celebrate such a formidable woman with audiences of all ages.

“Our thoughts are with her family at this time.”

Actor Rosario Dawson said “legends never die” as she paid tribute to singer Tina Turner.

Commenting on an Instagram post announcing the news of the singer’s death aged 83, Dawson wrote: “Rejoice In Paradise Queen. Legends Never Die. Rest In Power.”

Model Naomi Campbell paid tribute to singer Tina Turner following her death aged 83.

Commenting on Instagram, Campbell said: “Rest in Peace & Power THE QUEEN , LEGEND, ICON. There will never be another. Cherish my times with you.” – PA

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