Tina Turner: Superstar

“What’s Love Got to do With It”… One of Tina’s greatest hits, has a line “Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken”. This may very well be indicative of Tina’s relationship and marriage to Ike Turner.

Born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Brownsville Tennessee, Tina met Ike at a young age and began her climb to fame in his band “Kings of Rhythm”. Many hits came out of that era, such as “Boxtop” and of course “Proud Mary”. However, behind the scenes, the marriage was far from a love story. While Tina did love Ike, and was very obligated to his mentoring of her as a small town girl who was becoming a star, Ike was abusive, mentally and physically, and he spiraled into alcohol and cocaine abuse as he took a back seat to Tina’s rising stardom. Finally Tina split from Ike after a very violent incident in Dallas. They finalized their divorce on March 29, 1978.

Tina had an uphill struggle to re-invent her career after the split, but she kept the last name Turner. She realized that the name already had clout in the music industry and with the audiences, and at least, it would help her not have to start from scratch. After playing and appearing on shows such as The Hollywood Squares, Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher and the Brady Bunch Hour, along with small venues such as Cabarets in Las Vegas, Tina’s star slowly started to turn and launch.

In 1984, with the launch of “Private Dancer”, Tina reclaimed her superstar stature, and soared to become the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll!” In 1993, the story of Tina was released as a Major Motion Picture “What’s love got to do with it” starring Angela Bassett, documenting her rise to fame, the abuse, and ultimate divorce from Ike, and her pursuit of a Superstar career on her own.

Sadly, we lost Tina on May 24 2023 at her home in Switzerland. She died of multiple health complications and left a resounding hole in the lives of fellow musicians and fans alike.

Historical Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Turner

TinaTurner:Superstar

Tina Turner was the embodiment of a Woman who Rocks, and defines much of what this Magazine is about. From adversity, she rose to claim back her power. She had vision, determination, and finally, the sheer will to make it all happen. She was, and is, an inspiration to me, and to many people around the world who can look at her legacy and see hope. Rest in Peace Tina.