Legendary songstress and entertainer, Tina Turner, has died. She was 83.
From her unique vocal style to her signature legs, Tina Turner was the epitome of style and success in the world of entertainment, having sold over 100 million records worldwide and becoming one of the world’s best-selling recording artists of all time.
Affectionally referred to as the “Queen of Rock n’ Roll,” Turner was a trailblazer who, in her own words, “battled hard to be the first Black female solo rock artist to fill stadiums,” and who “played a part in clearing that path for women of the next generation — and the next.”
The story of Tina Turner is one that was filled with highs and lows. Born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Brownsville, Tennessee, Tina Turner grew up singing in the choir at Spring Hill Baptist Church. As she grew older, she went from being abandoned by her mother when she was just 11 years old, to escaping an abusive marriage, to eventually building a legendary singing career.
Tina Turner’s life journey is a story like no other.
Turner gained her initial musical success as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. After meeting band leader Ike Turner, Turner joined the group, got married to Ike, and ended up performing with the group for 16 years until 1976, before forging a record-breaking solo career.
The iconic hitmaker, whose songs have become staples in music history, sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in music history and had live performances that were seen by millions of concertgoers. Turner also became an actress and an author.
Other accolades that Turner received include: winning twelve (12) Grammy Awards; three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; being a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year awards; being the first Black artist and the first woman to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine; having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; having a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame; being ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time; and being twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—the first in 1991 as part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and in 2021 as a solo artist.
Turner has also acted in films such as Tommy (1975) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and her inspiring life story was captured on film in the forever classic movie What’s Love Got to Do with It, where actress Angela Bassett skillfully portrayed Turner in this biographical film adaptation from Turner’s personal autobiography, I, Tina: My Life Story.
Turner retired from live performances in 2009, after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which stands as the 15th highest-grossing tour in the 2000s. In 2018, she played a part in having her life’s story once again told on stage, with the Tina: The Tina Turner Musical hit show. In 2021, Turner appeared in a documentary film entitled Tina, which tells the story and chronicles the life and career of the legendary icon.
In October 2021, the Forward Times reported that Turner had sold the rights to her music catalog spanning six decades—including songs “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “The Best”—to music publishing company BMG. Simultaneously, Turner also sold the artist’s share of her recordings, her music publishing writer’s share, neighboring rights, and name, image, and likeness as part of the deal, according to BMG, which did not disclose financial terms, but according to industry experts, the deal was estimated to be worth more than $50 million.
Long live the Queen of Rock N’ Roll…Ms. Tina Turner!