Tina Turner was an American-born Singer and songwriter who made a name for herself with her rasping vocals, explosive energy, and sexual magnetism. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time, and until her demise on May 24, sold over 200 million records globally.
Tina passed away after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich, at age 83. Although the statement announcing her death, made by her publicist – Bernard Doherty, did not mention the cause of her demise, the singer reportedly had a stroke in recent years and was also battling Kidney disease and other illnesses.
Tina’s career started in the 1950s when she was still attending high school. She started singing with Ike Turner and his band, the Kings of Rhythm, as an occasional performer but soon became the group’s star attraction, and later became Turner’s wife, according to NYTimes.
The band was renamed the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, and while it turned out to be a success, her marriage to Turner was not; he was allegedly abusive, which caused Tina to later escape the marriage in her 30s.
After splitting with Turner, she launched her solo career in what pundits say is one of the greatest comebacks in music history. Her solo album “Private Dancer,” released in 1984, catapulted her to the zenith of her career and made her a household name. She subsequently released hit songs like “Better Be Good to Me,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
Her hit song, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” won three awards; Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best female pop vocal performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards. Additionally, Better Be Good To Me” also won her an award for best female rock vocal performance. In total, Tina got 12 Grammy Awards nominations, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Besides singing, she starred in movies like Tommy, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and Last Action Hero. She also became the first black artist and the first female to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Tina’s flourishing career saw her accumulate a massive fortune before her death. She sold over 100 million records globally and made a net worth of $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Tina was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Brownsville, Tennessee – northeast of Memphis. Her father, Floyd Bullock, worked as the overseer of Poindexter farm in Nutbush.
She lived with her grandmother in Brownsville after her parents went to work at a military installation in Knoxville during World War II, and attended Sumner High School in St. Louis.
