R.I.P. Tina Turner, legendary '60s and '70s Rock & Roll singer

By: Start TV Staff     Posted: May 24, 2023, 3:49PM    Tags: Tina Turner

CNN reports that Tina Turner, hailed as the Queen of Rock and Roll and one of the most popular singers of all time, has died.

The Grammy award-winning artist was known for various hits in the '60s, early '70s and '80s, including "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got to Do With It." Turner was also in a group with her ex-husband, Ike Turner, and later became a feminist icon for her willingness to speak out about the domestic abuse she suffered.

She was born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee. At 16, she moved to St. Louis and, after graduating, worked as a nurse's aide. After frequently visiting nightclubs in the city, she saw Ike Turner and his band perform and eventually became a featured vocalist in the band. In 1960, Turner wrote "A Fool In Love" for singer Art Lassiter, but he failed to appear at the recording session she paid for, and Turner ended up keeping the song for herself.

The singer and dancer was introduced to the world with "A Fool In Love," but not as Anna Mae Bullock. She was Tina Turner, one half of the duo Ike and Tina. The single reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, and more classics came from the new group, creating buzz around the industry, which began her success.

Turner would eventually go solo in 1976 after dealing with physical, mental and verbal abuse from her then-partner. Her mainstream success, courage, and rise to stardom as a solo act inspired women worldwide. In 1984, she released the multi-platinum album Private Dancer and started the spiky hair and short skirt trend. She embraced her legs, even getting insurance on them because they were a part of her brand. Turner moved to Chateau Algonquin in Kusnacht on the shore of Lake Zurich in 1994 and became a citizen of Switzerland in 2013.

For decades, Turner spoke her truth about how imperative it was for her to look within herself and start a new life away from the unhealthy situation she found herself in. This inspired women all over the world to not be ashamed to tell their stories.

"For a long time, I felt like I was stuck with no way out of the unhealthy situation I was in," she told Harvard Business Review in 2021. "But then I had a series of encounters with different people who encouraged me... And once I could see myself clearly, I began to change, opening the way to confidence and courage. It took a few years, but finally, I was able to stand up for myself and start anew."

The singer was 83.