Tina Turner, legendary superstar and queen of rock ’n’ roll, dead at 83
- Her growling contralto, trademark wigs and muscular, quick-stepping legs propelled her to 12 Grammys and over 150 million record sales worldwide
- Turner was also among the first celebrities to speak candidly about domestic abuse, becoming a heroine to battered women and a symbol of resilience to all
Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping What’s Love Got to Do With It, has died at 83.
Turner died on Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.
Few stars travelled so far – she was born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on an estate on Lake Zurich – and overcame so much.
Physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by her 20-year relationship with Ike Turner, she became a superstar on her own in her 40s, at a time when most of her peers were on their way down, and remained a top concert draw for years after.
With admirers ranging from Beyoncé to Mick Jagger, Turner was one of the world’s most successful entertainers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favourites: Proud Mary, Nutbush City Limits, River Deep, Mountain High, and the hits she had in the ’80s, among them What’s Love Got to Do with It, We Don’t Need Another Hero and a cover of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together.
Her trademarks were her growling contralto, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off.
