Late Tina Turner
Eko Hot Blog reports that Tina Turner, widely referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, has died at 83.
Her soul classics and pop hits like ‘The Best’ and ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’ made her a superstar.
Turner had suffered a number of health issues in recent years including cancer, a stroke and kidney failure.
The singer rose to fame alongside husband Ike in the 1960s with songs including Proud Mary and River Deep, Mountain High.
However, Ike physically and emotionally abused her.
It was he who changed her name from her birth name, Anna Mae Bullock, to Tina Turner, a decision he took without her knowledge, one example of his controlling behaviour.
She recalled the trauma she suffered throughout their relationship in her 2018 memoir, My Love Story, in which she compared sex with the late musician to “a kind of rape”.
“He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang,” she wrote.
Tina Turner
Turner divorced the abusive Ike in 1978, and went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s.
After escaping her abuser, she went on to rebuild her career and become one of the biggest pop and rock stars of the 80s and 90s, with hits including Let’s Stay Together, Steamy Windows, Private Dancer, James Bond theme GoldenEye, I Don’t Wanna Fight and It Takes Two, a duet with Rod Stewart.
She found happiness with her second husband, German music executive Erwin Bac. They began dating in the mid-80s, and got married in 2013.
The pair lived in Switzerland, with Turner taking Swiss citizenship. He donated one of his kidneys to her in 2017 after it was discovered she was suffering from kidney failure.
She also suffered tragedy with the loss of her eldest son Craig to suicide in 2018. His father was Turner’s former bandmate, Raymond Hill.
Another son, Ronnie, whose father was Ike Turner, died in 2022. She also had two adopted sons, Ike Jr and Michael, Ike’s children from a previous relationship.
Turner won eight 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.
Upon her solo induction, the Hall of Fame noted how she had “expanded the once-limited idea of how a Black woman could conquer a stage and be both a powerhouse and a multidimensional being”.
Younger stars who have felt her influence include Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae and Rihanna.
Click to watch our video of the week:
Ekohotblog reports that the Yoruba Obas Forum, composed of royal fathers from across Yoruba land,…
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has suspended two key officials over allegations of misconduct and…
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr.…