The US-born musical legend passed away at her home in Switzerland, her representative said. The singer was known for hit songs such as "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got to Do With It."
Tina Turner, the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", passed away at age 83Image: Sven Simon/dpa/picture alliance
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Tina Turner, widely known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" died on Wednesday at the age of 83, her representatives announced.
The US-born, Swiss-naturalized singer passed away in her home near Zurich after a long illness, her representatives said in a statement.
Tributes have poured in from all over the world, with the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, tweeting to say he was saddened by the news.
With such a long career, Turner influenced generations of fellow musicians. Beyoncé praised the late artist with whom she performed, writing a tribute on her website.
"My beloved queen. I love you endlessly. I’m so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way," Beyonce wrote. "You are the epitome of power and passion. We are all so fortunate to have witnessed your kindness and beautiful spirit that will forever remain."
Singer Lizzo dedicated her performance on Wednesday night in Phoenix, Arizona to Tina Turner:
Turner’s contemporaries have also been honoring her memory, with Dionne Warwick reflecting on a personal loss that will be shared by many:
'Enchanted millions'
Turner moved to Switzerland in the 1990s with her German partner Erwin Bach, whom she married in 2013.
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Her official Facebook page announced her passing on Wednesday evening.
"With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow," the post read.
World mourns a music legend
Further tributes were posted on social media by denizens of the arts and politics.
Former US president Barack Obama honored the star’s resilience on Twitter.
That sentiment was echoed by the current president, Joe Biden:
Actor George Takei honored Turner in a Twitter post, using the lyrics from some of her most popular songs.
"She showed us that love really does has everything to do with it, and that we really did need another hero. And she was it," Takei wrote.
British model Naomi Campbell wrote on Instagram: "Rest in peace and power [...] There will never be another. Cherish my times with you."
The US space agency, NASA, said Turner "sparkled across the stage" and that her "legacy will forever live among the stars."
Turner's rise to stardom
Turner came from humble beginnings, born in the US state of Tennessee as Anna Mae Bullock in 1939.
Her first encounter with fame came during performances alongside her former husband Ike Turner. During the 20-year relationship, she was physically and emotionally abused — later leaving the relationship and becoming one of the first celebrities to speak frankly about domestic violence.
She then became a superstar as a solo artist in her 40s, enjoying even wider success — known for her electric stage presence, powerful voice and shimmering costumes.
Pop 'n' soul powerhouse Tina Turner
She rocked the stages of the world for over five decades in her trademark sequin skirts and high heels. Tina Turner, the diva of soul and pop, left the music industry in 2009.
Image: picture-alliance/Keystone
Unparalleled career
Tina Turner sold over 180 million albums and won many prizes, including eight Grammies — not to mention the hearts of countless fans. On her sold-out farewell tour in 2009 when she was nearly 70, the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll swept the stage like a whirlwind. Many young stars could only dream of maintaining the sex appeal she still radiated at that age.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Oudenaarden
A meeting with destiny
Anna Mae Bullock was born in Nutbush, in the US state of Tennessee, in 1939. Her life changed dramatically in 1957 when she met Ike Turner, already a well-known musician. One night, during one of his gigs in the D'Lisa Club in St. Louis, Anna Mae spontaneously picked up the mic and sang a B.B. King hit. It was the beginning of her outstanding career. Ike Turner hired the 17-year-old on the spot.
Image: picture-alliance/Keystone
The first hit
From then on, Anna Mae gigged as a background singer in Ike's band, Kings of Rhythm. She got her big chance when front singer Art Lassiter didn't show up for an album recording and Ike asked her to replace him as soloist. She sang "A Fool in Love" and scored her first hit, which reached number 27 on the US charts in August 1960.
Image: imago/United Archives
Anna Mae becomes Tina
Ike renamed his new lead singer Tina and his show became "The Ike & Tina Turner Revue." They married in Mexico in 1962 and had two sons together. Professionally, they consistently advanced. Tina gained attention in Europe when she sang in Phil Spector's pop symphony, "River Deep, Mountain High."
Image: Getty Images/Evening Standard
'Proud Tina'
Regular concerts in Las Vegas and a profitable album contract made up the milestones of her successful years with Ike, when they performed an average of 270 concerts a year. They hit the top 10 in the US charts in 1970 with "Proud Mary." That's also when Tina received her first Grammy award as Best Rhythm and Blues Singer.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Reisfeld
With 36 cents to the Walk of Fame
Ike and Tina Turner were inducted as a duo into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their life as a couple was a nightmare. Ike turned out to be a tyrant who beat Tina several times into hospitalization. In 1976, she ran away after a concert with only 36 cents in her pocket, never to return to him again. Years later, she garnered her own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Image: AP
New start in the spotlight
In the divorce, Tina gave up all her rights and renounced her share of their fortune. The only thing she kept was her stage name. For a while, she survived on welfare. The major record labels had written her off as a hard-to-market has-been, but Tina returned to the spotlight in 1984 with her album "Private Dancer."
Image: picture-alliance/Keystone/Röhnert
2 icons on stage
Tina performed together with Mick Jagger at the Live Aid Concert in 1985. They had already met in the 1960s, when she and Ike performed as the opening act ahead of the Rolling Stones. During this concert, they sang "State of Shock" and "It's Only Rock'n'Roll." At the end of the duet, Mick ripped away Tina's skirt — and Tina just kept singing in her in panties and leather top.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/empics/R. Kennedy
A record breaker
Tina Turner became a phenomenon. In 1988, she sang at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in front of 180,000 spectators — a record audience for a solo performer. She was paid a whopping $1 million (€930,000) for a brief appearance in Denmark. She collected donations for sick children by singing for business people and celebrities who were willing to pay more than $23,000 for a ticket.
Image: AP
Spiritual sounds with 'Beyond'
Tina stepped down from the stage in 2009. A practicing Buddhist, she announced in her 1985 autobiography her plans to share her spiritual knowledge following her career in music. With yoga teacher Regula Curti and mantra singer Dechen Shak-Dagsay, Tina developed a new Christian-Buddhist music project called "Beyond."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Della Bella
Wedded bliss
Privately, things were going well, too: In the summer of 2013, Tina, who had become a Swiss citizen, married her longtime partner Erwin Bach, a German music manager. Around 120 guests were invited to the ceremony in Switzerland, including celebrities such as David Bowie, Eros Ramazzotti and Giorgio Armani.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Straub
Some of the limelight again
Tina's life story was turned into different films. "Tina, The Musical" has been running successfully in London since Spring 2018, and is also on show in New York and Hamburg. It tells Turner's exciting life story and is peppered with her great hits, with US singer and actress Adrienne Warren basking in the role of the great soul diva in London — Tina, herself, was also involved in the musical.
Image: Getty Images/E. M. McCormack
Buddhist serenity
Tina Turner chose not to return to the stage. In 2017, her husband donated one of his kidneys to her — for years she had to regularly undergo dialysis. Tina enjoyed her retirement at Lake Zurich, Switzerland. It was at her secluded lakeside home where she reportedly passed away on May 24, 2023.
