History

The real story behind Tina Turner’s classic hit ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’

When “What’s Love Got To Do With It” was released in 1984, it soon got to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and was there for three weeks. The song went on to earn three Grammys — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Performance. Meanwhile, when Turner first heard the song, she hated it.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, Turner had a tough life growing up, picking cotton in the fields around Nutbush, Tennessee. Raised by her grandmother, she involved herself in St. Louis’ R&B music scene. While in her teens, she met Ike Turner at a local nightclub Club Manhattan. Ike was then the leader of Kings of Rhythm, hailed as one of the first groups to introduce rock and roll with their song “Rocket 88.”

Ike and Turner soon formed a musical bond after Ike heard her sing. Not too long after, they became the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, producing their first R&B hit in 1960 with “A Fool in Love”. Turner, who had a child from a previous relationship, would have a son with Ike, and the two reportedly married in 1962 in Tijuana, Mexico. Ike had two other sons as well before marrying Turner.

The husband and wife duo went on to produce top 10 R&B hits with “I Idolize You,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,” “Poor Fool” and “Tra La La La La” backed by a band and the singers/dancers known as the Ikettes, according to Biography. Their big break came in 1971 with their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” It earned the act a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. Turner would later release “Nutbush City Limits” which hit both the pop and R&B charts.

While fans loved the music of the couple and their legendary performances with the Ikettes, Ike was abusing Turner without anyone knowing. According to Turner, she went through years of physical and emotional abuse from Ike, and would often have to force herself to sing and dance after being beaten. Ike, who was said to have survived deep trauma from his childhood, was into drinking, drugs and women. 

“There was violence because he had this fear that I was going to leave him,” Turner told The Times. “I had a lot of violence, houses burned, cars shot in to — the lowest you can think of in terms of abuse,” the singer and actress told Larry King in a 1997 interview.

Turner attempted to kill herself in 1968. When she recovered, she was more determined than ever to make it. After 14 years of marriage, she left Ike in 1976. She took no other assets apart from her performance name and two cars. Turner later signed with manager Roger Davies and joined Capitol/EMI Records, coming back bigger than ever as a solo artist with her 1984 Private Dancer album that included hits like “Let’s Stay Together,” “Better Be Good to Me,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It” written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.

But as already indicated, Turner initially did not like the song. “I was rock and roll. I was not … that was a pop song,” she said in the 2021 HBO Documentary about her life. Turner only recorded the song after her manager Davies made her meet one of the song’s producers/writers, Britten. At the meeting, they agreed to make some changes to the song to fit Turner’s style. 

Turner said in the documentary that she converted the song and made it her own, and it worked, giving the singer her first solo Grammy Award. “What’s Love Got to Do With It” also made Turner the oldest woman at the time to land a U.S. number one single at the age of 44, according to BBC.

The singer recently came out of retirement and announced that she was back with a remix of her classic hit. The Queen of Rock and Roll worked with Norwegian producer DJ Kygo on a remix of the song. Turner, who last officially toured in 2009, died on Wednesday at the age of 83 following a long illness in her home near Zurich, Switzerland. 

Her illustrious career includes record sales surpassing 200 million, earning 12 Grammy’s, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she also holds the Guinness World Record for selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history.

Besides having to leave an abusive relationship, Turner has also suffered health issues in recent times including a cancer diagnosis, a stroke and kidney failure, with her second husband Erwin Bach donating his own kidney for a transplant. In 2018, she lost her son Craig to suicide. The legendary artiste is survived by her husband Bach and two sons of her first husband whom she adopted.

Mildred Europa Taylor

Mildred Europa Taylor is a writer and content creator. She loves writing about health and women's issues in Africa and the African diaspora.

Recent Posts

Pregnant Nigerian woman faces up to 7 years in prison after review of tomato puree

A Nigerian woman, Chioma Okoli, is facing imprisonment of up to seven years following her…

19 mins ago

How 2024 Global Aurora Tech Award winner Folake Owodunni built largest network of First Responders to save lives in Nigeria

Folake Owodunni, CEO of Emergency Response Africa, recently emerged as the winner of the Global…

2 hours ago

Motown’s Martha Reeves finally gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame after she had to crowdfund for it

The renowned Grammy and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Martha Reeves, earned her place…

19 hours ago

Tragedy in South Africa as vehicle carrying Easter worshippers falls off bridge, 45 dead

The Easter weekend didn’t start well for some worshippers who have been reported dead in…

19 hours ago

Gladys Muhammad, the woman who has played Harriet Tubman several times to keep her legacy alive

Gladys Muhammad, an Indiana native, is working hard to preserve Harriet Tubman's legacy. Following her…

21 hours ago

Liquor store clerk shocked she sold $1.13B Mega Millions ticket without knowing identity of purchaser

TiYahna Bambaata, a clerk at a New Jersey liquor store, sold the $1.13 billion Mega…

22 hours ago

Meet Safro Fades, the barber who uses hammers, knives and made history winning a ‘Barber Grammy’

Martin "Safro Fades" Safari is not a barber who follows the conventional rules of the…

1 day ago

After being slammed for bragging about being rich, rapper Latto sends fan $2K for rent money

Latto has once again won the hearts of her followers after making a generous donation…

1 day ago

Man accused of fatally stabbing Walmart worker allegedly gave all African Americans at store ‘dirty looks’

Authorities in Illinois have arrested and charged a man in connection with the fatal stabbing…

1 day ago

Diddy no longer owner of Revolt TV as new mystery owner takes over: report

Almost a decade ago, Sean "P Diddy" Combs launched a cable music channel called Revolt…

1 day ago

Krystal Anderson: Longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader dies after stillbirth

Krystal Lakeshia Anderson, a longtime cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs and a women’s health…

1 day ago

Owners of bowling alley where Takeoff was shot blame rapper for his death in response to lawsuit

The owners of the bowling alley where Takeoff was fatally shot are asking a judge…

1 day ago

How Crawford-Williams started a movement in her apartment that now supports hundreds of small businesses in Detroit

Get to know Jennyfer Crawford-Williams; she is behind All Things Detroit Day, an annual event…

2 days ago

Two friends treat South African security guard to once in a lifetime helicopter ride over the rainbow nation

Two friends in their 20s made a heartwarming gesture to their apartment's security guard after…

2 days ago

From errand-runner to multi-business owner, meet 2024 Enterprising Woman of the Year Roslyn Ellerbee

Roslyn Ellerbee, the CEO and founder of Dream Team Digital Marketing, Manifesting Greatness with Roslyn…

2 days ago