She was one of the most successful rock musicians ever: Tina Turner. Now the undisputed queen of rock has died at the age of 83 in her adopted country of Switzerland.
She filled concert halls and stadiums worldwide for decades, sang one number one hit after the other – with an unmistakable, smoky soul voice and incomparable energy: music icon Tina Turner. Now the “Queen of Rock” died after a long illness at the age of 83 in Küsnacht, Switzerland, where she had been at home for decades. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the singer’s Instagram page said. Turner has inspired millions of fans around the world.
From a humble background
Turner – born in 1939 in the US state of Tennessee into a cotton-picking family – was one of the world’s most influential and successful rock musicians. She began her career in the 1960s, back then as a background singer under bandleader Ike Turner, whom she married in 1962 and with whom she began making music as “Ike and Tina Turner Revue”. The couple separated in the mid-1970s – husband Ike abused her. At the age of 37, Turner fled from him and gave up all financial claims from the joint music work in order to get through the divorce quickly.
Tina Turner and her former husband Ike: The marriage was divorced in the 70s, Ike had abused his wife.
Steep solo career
In the following years, Turner – in his mid-40s – started a meteoric solo career and became world-famous with titles such as “The Best”, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “We Don’t Need Another Hero”. At 45 she made her breakthrough with her album “Private Dancer”. She won four Grammys and from then on filled the largest halls and stadiums in the world. When she sang in Rio de Janeiro in 1988 in front of more than 180,000 spectators, she got into the Guinness Book of Records with the huge audience. Concerts have also become unforgettable experiences for tens of thousands of fans in Germany, most recently in 2009 in Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
Professional success was accompanied by personal happiness: in the 1980s, Turner met her second husband: the Cologne music manager Erwin Bach. She has lived with him on Lake Zurich in Switzerland since the 1990s. Later she also took Swiss citizenship.
In 2009 – at the age of 69 – Turner went on tour for the last time. She then lived a secluded life and, by her own account, enjoyed life without obligations after decades of hard work. For her 80th birthday, she once again sent a video message to her fans: “I look great, I feel good, I’ve survived some serious illnesses, and got a second chance, I’m happy,” she said.
Tina Turner on her farewell tour: Unmistakable voice, incomparable energy