Tina Turner “Queen of Rock” (83) has died peacefully today after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.  In the past she had suffered several health issues in recent years including cancer, stroke and kidney failure. Tina emerged in to fame in the 1960s alongside her ex-husband Ike turner, with the classic song River Deep Mountain High and What’s Love Got to Do which made her a superstar. She divorced the abusive Ike in 1978, and went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s and won three Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, as a solo artist , having first been inducted alongside Ike Turner in 1991. A 1993 biopic documentary starring Angel Bassett which won three Oscars showing the domestic abuse Ike subjected his wife. Her life story was immortalized in a popular West End show that is still running.

Several young stars like Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae and Rihanna all have felt her influence.

Born in Tennessee into a sharecropping family, she first found prominence as one of the backing singers for her husband’s band The Kings of Rhythm.

They tasted commercial success  with Fool in Love and It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, which made the US charts in the early 60s.

Ike changed her birth name, Anna Mae Bullock, to Tina Turner, a decision he took without her knowledge. About Abuse  Tina said “he used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang”.

She became one of the biggest pop and rock stars of the 80sn and 90s with hits including Let’s Stay together, Steamy Windows, Private Dancer, James Bond theme Golden Eye., I don’t Wanna Fight and It Takes Two, a duet with Rod Stewart.

She also starred in 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome- which featured another of her smash hits, We Don’t Need Another Hero – and The Who’s 1975 rock opera Tommy as a the Acid Queen.  

She married for the second time  German music executive Erwin Bac, although started dating in the mid 80s, eventually got married in 2013. The pair lived in Switzerland. She suffered tragedy with the loss of her eldest son Craig to suicide in 2018, and another son Ronnie, died in 2022. She also had  two adopted sons Ike Jr, and Michael, Ike’s children from a previous relationship

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