“Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself – speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy,” Obama wrote of the star held up as an icon.
Tina Turner, the trailblazing rocker whose powerful voice and imposing stage presence thrilled global audiences for decades, died Wednesday at the age of 83.
Tributes poured in from around the world, with some of music’s biggest names lamenting the loss of a singular and instantly recognizable performer, whose popularity spanned generations.
Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger – who, legend has it, learned his dance moves from the diva, said the world had lost “an enormously talented performer and singer.”
“She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”
Bandmate Ronnie Wood called Turner “the Queen Of Rock And Soul and a dear friend.”
Fans lined up to pay tribute at the wrought iron gates of her huge compound in Kusnacht, on Switzerland’s Lake Zurich, many bearing candles and flowers.
Chateau Algonquin had been the home Turner shared with her German husband Erwin Bach for almost three decades, including when she took Swiss citizenship in 2013, and relinquished her US passport.
“The world has lost an icon,” Swiss President Alain Berset said.
US President Joe Biden paid a pointed tribute to a “once-in-a-generation talent that changed American music forever.”
“Tina’s personal strength was remarkable,” Biden wrote. “Overcoming adversity, and even abuse, she built a career for the ages and a life and legacy that were entirely hers, ” he added, calling Turner “simply the best.”
Biden’s former boss, Barack Obama called her “a star whose light will never fade.”
“Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself — speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy,” America’s first Black president wrote of the star held up as a Black icon.
Turner’s Britain-based publicist Bernard Doherty said her death came after a long illness, and had robbed the world of “a music legend and a role model.”
He gave no details of the illness.
– ‘The Best’ –
A career that would go on to net eight Grammy Awards began in the 1960s in a partnership with husband Ike Turner.
The pair recorded a number of hits together throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and while he was credited as being the brains behind the operation, she was always clearly the more talented.
After their troubled and violent marriage collapsed — she fled in 1976 mid-tour — Tina Turner forged a wildly successful solo career.
The following decades gifted the world instantly recognizable hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”, “Private Dancer” and the anthemic “The Best”.
Her “We Don’t Need Another Hero” featured on the soundtrack to “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” the 1985 post-apocalyptic thriller starring Mel Gibson.
A decade later she oozed her way through “Goldeneye,” joining the select ranks of artists who have sung on the James Bond franchise.
Reaction to Turner’s death came from across the worlds of music, entertainment and sport.
Fellow singer Gloria Gaynor took to Instagram to hail Turner’s mold-breaking career, and how she “paved the way for so many women in rock music, black and white.”
“She did with great dignity and success what very few would even have dared to do in her time and in that genre of music.
“She will be sorely missed.”
Mariah Carey called Turner the embodiment of a legendary superstar. She was “an incredible performer, musician and trailblazer.
“To me, she will always be a survivor and an inspiration to women everywhere,” she wrote.
Angela Bassett, who played the singer in the 1993 biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It” opposite Laurence Fishburne as Ike, paid emotional tribute to “a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world.”
“Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion and freedom should look like,” Bassett said.
Basketball legend Magic Johnson posted a picture with the songstress — “one of my favorite artists of all time.”
“I’ve seen her many many times and hands down, she gave one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen,” he tweeted.
Actor Forest Whitaker praised Turner’s “voice, her dancing, and her spirit.”
But he also hailed her ability to bounce back, in a nod to the difficulty of escaping her troubled marriage to Ike.
“As we honor her, let’s also reflect on her resilience, and think about all the greatness that can follow our darkest days.”
English crooner Rick Astley tweeted “What a woman, what a life, what a voice! One of the GREATS!” while NASA declared that Turner’s “legacy will forever live among the stars.”
23 photos of Tina Turner’s extraordinary life
- 23 photos of Tina’s extraordinary life
She was a well-known singer, known for hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Among her many accomplishments in her lifetime, Turner won eight Grammys
Tina Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock, began her music career as a teenager when she met Kings of Rhythm member Ike Turner.
It was Ike who gave her the stage name Tina Turner. Their debut single as a duo, “A Fool in Love,” was released in 1960.
Ike and Tina toured across the US and overseas. But behind the scenes, Ike was physically abusive toward the singer.
Tina split from Ike in 1976, with just 36 cents in her pocket. In the ’80s, her solo career took off with the studio album “Private Dancer.”
“Private Dancer” was a commercial success, spawning hits like the titular track and “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
She was nominated for five awards at the 1985 American Music Awards and won two trophies: favorite soul/R&B female artist and favorite soul/R&B female video artist.
Turner’s solo success led to TV appearances on shows like NBC’s long-running sketch series “Saturday Night Live.” Here she is with host Alex Karras and cast member Billy Crystal during rehearsals in January 1985.
Turner won three of the five awards she was nominated for at the 1985 Grammys. Here she is with fellow winner and friend Lionel Richie.
Months later, in July 1985, Turner and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones performed together at the Live Aid event held in Philadelphia.
That year, Turner embarked on her tour for the album “Private Dancer.” She performed two back-to-back shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Turner’s music industry friends included Cher. Turner even appeared on an episode of “The Sonny & Cher Show” in 1977.
Outside of her flourishing music career, Turner starred as Aunty Entity in the film “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” which opened in theaters in July 1985.
Here’s Turner performing alongside Paul McCartney at The Prince’s Trust 10th Anniversary Birthday Party on June 20, 1986.
Among her many accolades, Turner also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.
Turner’s career took her all over the world, including places like Brazil. Here she is dancing in the streets of Rio de Janeiro in December 1987.
Turner delivered high-energy shows throughout her decades-long career. Here she is performing in England in July 1990.
In June 1993, she embarked on the What’s Love? Tour in support of her studio album “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Here she is backstage at Radio City Music Hall in July of that year.
Turner’s 1995 song “GoldenEye” was written by U2 members Bono and the Edge. It served as the theme song of the “James Bond” movie of the same name.
She delivered performed “When the Heartache Is Over” and “Proud Mary” at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at the Super Bowl pre-game show on January 30, 2000.
At the 50th Grammys on February 10, 2008, Turner and Beyoncé teamed up for an electrifying performance of “Proud Mary.”
To celebrate her 50th year in the music industry, turner went on tour in 2008. The following year, after the tour concluded, she formally retired.
Turner met German record executive Erwin Bach at an airport in 1985. They married in 2013 in Switzerland, where Turner had citizenship. Despite her retirement, Turner, accompanied by Bach, attended events like Paris Fashion Week.
Turner’s legacy continued in many ways, like the Broadway show “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” which opened in November 2019. She appeared on stage on the opening night and said, “I can never be as happy as I am now.”
