Simply the Best: Remembering the legendary Tina Turner

Tina Turner

by Lorna White |
Updated on

She was one of the most loved and inspirational artists of all time which is why the world was so shocked and saddened to hear that legendary singer, Tina Turner has passed away aged 83.

Known as the 'Queen of Rock and Roll', she enjoyed a successful and long career with a huge catalogue of famous hits including Proud Mary, The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It.

She passed away at her home in Switzerland following her long-term battle with an illness. Tina received a diagnosis of intestinal cancer in 2016 and underwent a kidney transplant a year later.

Tributes from famous names in the world of music came flooding in following the announcement.

The tributes were led by Mick Jagger who said, “I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly 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.”

His bandmate Ronnie Wood also shared, “God bless you Tina, the Queen Of Rock And Soul and a dear friend to our family. Love and prayers to all of Tina’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Barack Obama, former US President claimed she was “the Queen of Rock and Roll, and 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."

Current president Joe Biden shared that Tina was a “once-in-a-generation talent that changed American music forever”, adding that her “personal strength was remarkable”. “Overcoming adversity, and even abuse, she built a career for the ages and a life and legacy that were entirely her.”

Tina Turner documentary

The sad news comes just a couple of years after Tina released an intimate and revealing documentary to fans, which gave us fans a deeper insight into her life, from her childhood, career, relationship with Ike and her incredible life and career.

Simply named 'Tina', you can catch up with the two-part documentary on Amazon Prime Fans.

The director of the documentary, Dan Lindsay said that Tina had envisioned the documentary as her final word.

"I appreciate all this love for me," he quoted her as saying, "but I am done, I am tired, I just want to live in retirement".

Turner's husband, the former music executive Edwin Bach, described the documentary as the star's goodbye", saying: "This is it. Closure."

During the very candid interview, she begins by talking of her childhood and later rise to fame and abusive relationship with her husband, Ike Turner.

"I was living a life of death," she reveals in the film, sharing that she attempted suicide before leaving the marriage in 1976.

The film's co-director TJ Martin said, "She'll say it herself. She doesn't mind talking about it [the abuse], but she knows if she does, it comes back in dreams, which is a form of PTSD."

Tina Turner movies

Not only did Tina have a successful music career but she also appeared in films too. She starred in the 1983 film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and later, the film of her life was released in 1993.

What's Love Got to Do With It, starring Angela Bassett as Tina, told the story of the singer's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband.

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