Tina Turner’s Momentous Life in Pictures
Tina Turner, the boundary- and record-breaking singer whose artistry reminded the world that rock and roll did not belong only to white men, has died at the age of 83 according to her representatives. The singer died “peacefully” in her home near Zurich, Switzerland, the country she adopted as her residence during her final few decades; she lived there with her husband, the German-born music executive Erwin Bach.
Born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1939, Turner first began performing after meeting the bandleader Ike Turner in a St. Louis nightclub. Billed as a duo act and married in 1962, the pair found mainstream success with tracks like “Fool in Love” and “Proud Mary” and toured with the Rolling Stones, but behind the scenes, Ike Turner was physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive. Tina Turner eventually fled the marriage with just 36 cents in her pocket, and refused to reunite or even talk to Ike after their divorce.
After a few years of financial hardship, Turner reemerged as a solo act with a ferocious new image, thanks in part to her new Bob Mackie-designed wardrobe. On her own, Turner reached even greater success, releasing some of the definitive hits of the 1980s, including “Private Dancer,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” “The Best,” and the number-one smash, “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Angela Bassett would score an Oscar nomination for playing Turner in the 1993 biopic of the same name. Turner retired from performing in 2009, and has lived a mostly quiet life in Switzerland while still participating in projects like the Tina Broadway musical and a recent documentary about her life.
Dubbed the “Queen of Rock & Roll,” Turner won 12 Grammys awards, sold over 100 million records worldwide, and is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was also both the first Black musician and first woman to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. An artist of international appeal, she was the first musician to have a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom in seven consecutive countries (a Kygo-assisted dance remake of “What’s Love Got to Do with It” charted in 2020). She had been, until recently, the oldest person to cover any international edition of Vogue, when she posed for the German edition in 2013.
Here, a look back at Tina Turner’s momentous life in pictures.
In 1969, Tina joined Janice Joplin onstage in Los Angeles.
Turner performing in Rotterdam in 1990.
Tina and Grace Jones were all smiles catching up at an event in 1981 at The Ritz in New York City.
David Bowie, too, was a massive Turner fan.
Turner poses backstage with the Rolling Stones during a 1981 tour stop.
Tina joined Beyoncé on stage in 2008 at the Grammy Awards that year.
Backstage with Lionel Richie at the 1985 Grammys. Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” won both the Record and Song of the Year accolades. She also received a third award for Best Pop Vocal Performance.
Turner was a close friend of fashion designer Giorgio Armani and his family’s, often sitting front row at his shows throughout the years.
Turner was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2005 alongside Tony Bennett, Robert Redford, Julie Harris, and Suzanne Farrell.
Oprah was a massive Turner fan, and the singer came out to support the opening night of the Oprah-produced musical The Color Purple on Broadway in 2005.
Turner, exuding pure glamour, at the 1984 Grammy Awards.
Turner and Cher both often turned to the same man, Bob Mackie, for some of their most iconic onstage looks, and the pair were longtime friends.
Turner first came across Azzedine Alaïa’s clothing in a Los Angeles store and liked the looks so much, she called him up. They struck up a close friendship, and Alaïa designed several custom looks for her over the years.
Paul McCartney and Tina Turner perform in London in 1986 at an event thrown by the then-Prince Charles.
In a costume recalling her Mad Max character, Turner performs during her 50th anniversary tour in 2009, which would be her last.
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