Tina Turner & Ike. Signed by Photographer Ian Wright. The Globe Theatre, Stockton on Tees, England September 29, 1966. 1966 Rolling Stones Tour. Signed by Ian Wright Photographer. Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was an American-born singer. Known as the “Queen of Rock’n’ Roll”, she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer. Born Anna Mae Bullock. Died May 24, 2023 (aged 83). Citizenship United States (until 2013). Singer songwriter actress author. Erwin Bach? M. Eugene Bridges (first cousin once removed). Rock R&B soul pop rock and roll. Sonja Pompeii United Artists Capitol Parlophone Virgin. Ike & Tina Turner. Turner began her career with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, “Boxtop”, in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single “A Fool in Love”. The duo Ike & Tina Turner became “one of the most formidable live acts in history”. They released hits such as “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”, “River Deep – Mountain High”, “Proud Mary”, and “Nutbush City Limits”, before disbanding in 1976. In the 1980s, Turner launched “one of the greatest comebacks in music history”. [8] Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Aged 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)”, “Typical Male”, “The Best”, “I Don’t Wanna Fight”, and “GoldenEye”. During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer. Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). In 1993, What’s Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina! 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th-highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of a jukebox musical, Tina. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist and first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. [11] Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was also a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award. Ike and Tina Turner. Main article: Ike & Tina Turner. I would have been lost in my life at that point without him. I mean, I could do two things: work in a hospital or sing in Ike’s band. I didn’t know anything else. And I wanted to sing. Tina Turner (1986). Bullock and her sister began to frequent nightclubs in St. Louis and East St. [31] She first saw Ike Turner perform with his band the Kings of Rhythm at the Manhattan Club in East St. Bullock was impressed by his talent, recalling that she “almost went into a trance” watching him play. She asked Turner to let her sing in his band despite the fact that few women had ever sung with him. Turner said he’d call her but never did. One night in 1957, she got hold of the microphone from Kings of Rhythm drummer Eugene Washington during an intermission and she sang the B. King blues ballad, “You Know I Love You”. Upon hearing her sing, Turner asked her if she knew more songs. She sang the rest of the night and became a featured vocalist with his band. During this period, he taught her the finer points of vocal control and performance. Bullock’s first recording was in 1958 under the name Little Ann on the single “Boxtop”. She is credited as a vocalist on the record alongside Ike and fellow Kings of Rhythm singer Carlson Oliver. In 1960, Turner wrote “A Fool in Love” for singer Art Lassiter. Bullock was to sing background with Lassiter’s backing vocalists, the Artettes. Lassiter failed to show up for the recording session at Technisonic Studios. Since Turner had already paid for the studio time, Bullock suggested that she sing the lead. He decided to use her to record a demo with the intention of erasing her vocals and adding Lassiter’s at a later date. Louis disc jockey Dave Dixon convinced Turner to send the tape to Juggy Murray, president of R&B label Sue Records. Upon hearing the song, Murray was impressed with Bullock’s vocals, later stating that Tina sounded like screaming dirt. It was a funky sound. Murray also convinced Turner to make Bullock “the star of the show”. [52] Turner responded by renaming her “Tina” because it rhymed with Sheena; however, family and friends still called her Ann. He was inspired by Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and Nyoka the Jungle Girl to create her stage persona. Turner added his last name and trademarked the name as a form of protection, so that if Bullock left him, like his previous singers had, he could not replace her with another “Tina Turner”. Ike & Tina Turner on the cover of Cash Box’s June 30 1962 issue. Bullock was introduced to the public as Tina Turner with the single “A Fool in Love” in July 1960. 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Journalist Kurt Loder described the track as “the blackest record to ever creep into the white pop charts since Ray Charles’s gospel-styled’What’d I Say’ that previous summer”. Another single from the duo, “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”, reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart in 1961, earning them a Grammy nomination for Best Rock and Roll Performance. Other singles Ike & Tina released between 1960 and 1962 included the R&B hits “I Idolize You”, “Poor Fool”, and “Tra La La La La”. After the release of “A Fool in Love”, Ike created the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, which included the Kings of Rhythm and a girl group, the Ikettes, as backing vocalists and dancers. He remained in the background as the bandleader. Ike put the entire revue through a rigorous touring schedule across the United States, performing 90 days straight in venues around the country. During the days of the Chitlin’ Circuit, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue built a reputation as “one of the most hottest, most durable and potentially most explosive of all R&B ensembles”, rivaling the James Brown Revue in terms of musical spectacle. Due to their profitable performances, they were able to perform in front of desegregated audiences in Southern clubs and hotels. Between 1963 and 1965, the band toured constantly and produced moderately successful R&B singles. Turner’s first credited single as a solo artist, “Too Many Ties That Bind”/”We Need an Understanding”, was released from Ike’s label Sonja Records in 1964. Another single by the duo, “You Can’t Miss Nothing That You Never Had”, reached No. 29 on the Billboard R&B chart. After their tenure at Sue Records, the duo signed with more than ten labels during the remainder of the decade, including Kent, Cenco, Tangerine, Pompeii, A&M, and Minit. In 1964, they signed with Loma Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records, which was run by Bob Krasnow. Krasnow became their manager shortly after they left Sue Records. On the Warner Bros. Label, they achieved their first charting album with Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot R&B LPs chart in February 1965. Their singles “Tell Her I’m Not Home”, released on Loma, and “Good Bye, So Long”, released on Modern Records, were top 40 R&B hits in 1965. Turner’s profile was raised after several solo appearances on shows such as American Bandstand and Shindig! While the entire revue appeared on Hollywood A Go-Go. In 1965, music producer Phil Spector attended an Ike & Tina Turner’s show at a club on the Sunset Strip and he invited them to appear in the concert film The Big T. The duo seated and singing. Ike & Tina Turner by Dennis Hopperin 1966. Impressed by the duo’s performance on The Big T. Show, Phil Spector was eager to produce Turner. They signed to Spector’s Philles label in April 1966 after Turner had already recorded with him. [75] Their first single on his label, “River Deep – Mountain High”, was released in May 1966. Spector considered that record, with Turner’s maximum energy over the “Wall of Sound”, to be his best work. It was successful overseas, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 on Los 40 Principales in Spain, but it failed to go any higher than No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. The impact of the record gave Ike & Tina Turner an opening spot on the Rolling Stones UK tour in the fall of 1966. In November 1967, Turner became the first female artist and the first black artist to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The duo signed with Blue Thumb Records in 1968, releasing the album Outta Season in 1969. The album produced their charted cover of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”. Later that year they released The Hunter. The title track, Albert King’s “The Hunter”, earned Turner a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The success of the albums led to the revue headlining in Las Vegas where their shows were attended by a variety of celebrities including David Bowie, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, Cher, James Brown, Ray Charles, Elton John, and Elvis Presley. Turner performing on stage at Tulane Stadium during Soul Bowl’70 on October 24, 1970. In the fall of 1969, Ike & Tina Turner’s profile in their home country was raised after opening for the Rolling Stones on their U. They gained more exposure from performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, Playboy After Dark, and The Andy Williams Show. The duo released two albums in 1970, Come Together and Workin’ Together. Their cover of “I Want to Take You Higher” peaked at No. 34 on the Hot 100, whereas the original by Sly and the Family Stone had peaked four numbers below that position. [71] The Come Together and Workin’ Together albums marked a turning point in their careers in which they switched from their usual R&B repertoire to incorporate more rock tunes such as “Come Together”, “Honky Tonk Woman”, and “Get Back”. In early 1971, their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” became their biggest hit. The single reached No. In July 1971, their live album, What You Hear Is What You Get, was released. It was recorded at Carnegie Hall and became their first certified Gold album. Later that year they had a top 40 R&B hit with “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”. Their next three singles to chart, “I’m Yours (Use Me Anyway You Wanna)”, “Up in Heah”, and “Early One Morning” (a Little Richard cover) all peaked at No. 47 on the R&B chart. In 1972, they opened Bolic Sound recording studio near their home in Inglewood. [89] After Liberty was absorbed into United Artists Records, they were assigned to that label. Around this time, Turner began writing more songs. She wrote nine out of the ten tracks on their 1972 album Feel Good.. Their 1973 hit single “Nutbush City Limits” No. 11 R&B, penned by Turner, reached No. 1 in Austria, No. 4 in the UK, and the top 5 in several other countries. Their follow-up hits included “Sweet Rhode Island Red”, and “Sexy Ida” in 1974. In 1974, the duo released the Grammy-nominated album The Gospel According to Ike & Tina, which was nominated for Best Soul Gospel Performance. Ike also received a solo nomination for his single “Father Alone” from the album. Turner’s first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! Earned her a nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female. That year, Turner filmed the rock opera Tommy in London. She played the Acid Queen, a drug-addicted prostitute; her performance was critically acclaimed. Shortly after filming wrapped, Turner appeared on Ann-Margret’s TV special. Following the release of Tommy in 1975, another solo album by Turner was released titled Acid Queen. The album reached No. 39 on the Billboard R&B chart. It produced the charting singles “Baby, Get It On” and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”. In 1976, they headlined at the Waldorf Astoria New York and signed a television deal with CBS-TV. By the mid-1970s, Ike was heavily addicted to cocaine, which hindered his relationship with Turner. On July 1, the Turners flew from Los Angeles to Dallas, where the revue had a gig at the Statler Hilton in downtown Dallas. They got into a physical altercation en route to the hotel. Shortly after arriving at the hotel, Turner fled from Ike with only 36 cents and a Mobil gas card and hid at the Ramada Inn across the freeway. She filed for divorce on July 27, and it was finalized on March 29, 1978. After their separation, United Artists released two more studio albums credited to the duo: Delilah’s Power (1977) and Airwaves (1978). In 1976 and 1977, Turner earned income by appearing on TV shows such as The Hollywood Squares, Donny & Marie, The Sonny & Cher Show, and The Brady Bunch Hour. [110] After her separation from Ike, lawsuits were mounting for canceled Ike & Tina Turner gigs. Turner resumed touring to pay off her debts with finances given to her by United Artists executive Mike Stewart. In 1977, Turner re-emerged with a sexier image and costumes created by Bob Mackie. She headlined a series of cabaret shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and took her act to smaller venues in the United States. Later that year, she embarked on her first solo concert tour in Australia. In 1978, Turner released her third solo album, Rough, on United Artists with distribution in North America and Europe on EMI. That album, along with its 1979 follow-up, Love Explosion, which included a brief diversion to disco music, failed to chart, so United Artists Records and Turner parted ways. Without the premise of a hit record, she continued performing and headlined her second tour. In 1979, Australian manager Roger Davies agreed to manage Turner after seeing her perform at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. In early 1979, Turner worked in Italy as a regular performer on the Rete 1 TV series Luna Park, hosted by Pippo Baudo and Heather Parisi. Later that year, she embarked on a controversial five-week tour of South Africa during the apartheid regime. She later regrett the decision, stating that she was “naive about the politics in South Africa” at the time. In October 1981, Rod Stewart attended Turner’s show at the Ritz in New York City and invited her to perform “Hot Legs” with him on Saturday Night Live. In November, Turner opened for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 American Tour. Turner performed in March 1982 in the Willem Ruis show (Netherlands), which resulted in the hit Shame, Shame, Shame reaching No. 47 in the Netherlands. In 1982 Turner’s recording of the Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion” for the UK production team BEF became a hit in European dance clubs. In 1982, Turner also appeared on the album “Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1″ by B. A side project of Heaven 17, singing “Ball of Confusion”. She filmed a music video for “Ball of Confusion” that aired on the fledgling music video channel MTV, becoming one of the first black American artists to gain airtime on the channel. Also in 1982, Turner appeared as a special guest on Chuck Berry’s television special performed at The Roxy in West Hollywood. Turner performing at Drammen, Norway in 1985. Until 1983, Turner was considered a nostalgia act, performing mostly at hotel ballrooms and clubs in the United States. During her second stint at the Ritz, she signed with Capitol Records in 1983. In November 1983, she released her cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, which was produced by B. It reached several European charts, including No. 6 in the UK. In the US, the song peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Songs, and No. 3 Hot Black Singles. Following the single’s surprise success, Capitol Records greenlit a studio album. Turner had two weeks to record her Private Dancer album, which was released in May 1984. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. Also in May 1984, Capitol issued the album’s second single, “What’s Love Got to Do with It”; the song had previously been recorded by the pop group Bucks Fizz. Following the album’s release, Turner joined Lionel Richie as the opening act on his tour. On September 1, 1984, Turner achieved her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. The follow-up singles “Better Be Good to Me” and “Private Dancer” were both U. The same year, she duetted with David Bowie on a cover of Iggy Pop’s “Tonight”. Released as a single in November, it peaked at No. 53 in both the UK and the U. Turner culminated her comeback when she won three Grammys at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. In February 1985, she embarked on her second world tour to support the Private Dancer album. Two nights were filmed at Birmingham, England’s NEC Arena and later released as a concert on home video. During this time, she also contributed vocals to the USA for Africa benefit song “We Are the World”. Turner’s success continued when she traveled to Australia to star opposite Mel Gibson in the 1985 post-apocalyptic film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The movie provided her with her first acting role in ten years; she portrayed the glamorous Aunty Entity, the ruler of Bartertown. Upon release, critical response to her performance was generally positive. Turner later received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress for her role in the film. She recorded two songs for the film, “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” and “One of the Living”; both became hits, with the latter winning her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In July 1985, Turner performed at Live Aid alongside Mick Jagger. Their performance shocked observers when Jagger ripped her skirt off. Turner released a duet, “It’s Only Love”, with Bryan Adams. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, and the music video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance. Turner and Clapton, on stage, sharing a microphone stand, singing. Turner on tour with special guest Eric Clapton at Wembley Arena in London on June 17, 1987. In 1986, Turner released her sixth solo album, Break Every Rule, which reached No. The album featured the singles “Typical Male”, “Two People”, “What You Get Is What You See “, and the Grammy-winning “Back Where You Started”. Prior to the album’s release, Turner published her autobiography I, Tina, which became a bestseller. That year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her Break Every Rule World Tour, which began in March 1987 in Munich, Germany, was the third highest-grossing tour by a female artist in North America that year. In January 1988, Turner performed in front of approximately 180,000 at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, setting a Guinness World Record at the time for the largest paying concert attendance for a solo artist. In April 1988, Turner released the Tina Live in Europe album, which won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. After taking time off following the end of the tour, she emerged with the Foreign Affair album in 1989. 1 in eight countries, including in the UK (5× Platinum), her first number one album there. In 1990, Turner embarked on her Foreign Affair European Tour, which drew in nearly four million spectators-breaking the record for a European tour that was previously set by the Rolling Stones. Private Dancer was the beginning of my success in England and basically Europe has been very supportive of my music. I’m as big as Madonna in Europe. I’m as big as, in some places [in Europe], as the Rolling Stones [sic]. Turner reflecting on her European success, Larry King Live, 1997. In 1991, Ike & Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ike Turner was incarcerated at the time and Tina Turner did not attend. Turner stated through her publicist that she was taking a leave of absence following her tour and she felt emotionally unequipped to return to the U. And respond to the night of celebration in the manner she would want. Phil Spector accepted the award on their behalf. In 1993, the semi-autobiographical film What’s Love Got to Do with It was released. The film starred Angela Bassett as Tina Turner and Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner; they received Best Actress and Best Actor Oscar nominations for their roles. While she was not heavily involved in the film, Turner contributed to the soundtrack for What’s Love Got to Do with It, re-recording old songs and several new songs. The single “I Don’t Wanna Fight” from the soundtrack was a top 10 hit in the U. In 1993 Turner embarked on her What’s Love? Tour, which visited primarily North America with a few shows in Australasia and Europe. In 1996 Turner released the Wildest Dreams album, accompanied by her “Wildest Dreams Tour”. In September 1999, before celebrating her 60th birthday, Turner released the dance-infused song “When the Heartache Is Over” as the leading single from her tenth and final solo album, Twenty Four Seven. The success of the single and the following tour helped the album become certified Gold by the RIAA. Her two concerts at Wembley Stadium were recorded by the director David Mallet and released in the DVD One Last Time Live in Concert. At a July 2000 concert in Zürich, Switzerland, Turner announced that she would retire at the end of the tour. Bush congratulates Turner during a reception for the Kennedy Center Honors in the East Room of the White House on December 4, 2005. From left, the other honorees are singer Tony Bennett, dancer Suzanne Farrell, actress Julie Harris, and actor Robert Redford. In November 2004, Turner released All the Best, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2005, her highest charting album in the United States. The album went platinum in the U. Three months after its release and reached platinum status in seven other countries, including the UK. In December 2005, Turner was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D. And was elected to join an elite group of entertainers. Turner made a public comeback in February 2008 at the Grammy Awards, where she performed alongside Beyoncé. [180][181] In addition, she won a Grammy as a featured artist on River: The Joni Letters. In October 2008, Turner embarked on her first tour in nearly ten years with the Tina! [182][183] In support of the tour, Turner released a greatest hits compilation. The tour was a huge success and became one of the bestselling tours of all time. In 2009, Turner officially retired from performing. In 2009, Turner co-founded a global music foundation, Beyond Foundation, [184] with Swiss Christian musician Regula Curti and Swiss Tibetan Buddhist Dechen Shak-Dagsay. Turner co-released four albums of spiritual or uplifting music released through projects with Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers (2009), Children (2011), Love Within (2014), and Awakening (2017). As of 2023, the Swiss Beyond Foundation remains active and enables the collaboration of musical artists from different parts of the world. This made Turner the first female recording artist in UK chart history to score top 40 hits in six consecutive decades (1960s-2010s). In 2011, Beyond’s second album Children – With Children United in Prayer followed and charted again in Switzerland. Turner promoted the album by performing on TV shows in Germany and Switzerland. In April 2013, Turner appeared on the cover of the German issue of Vogue magazine at the age of 73, becoming the oldest person to be featured on the cover of Vogue. In February 2014, Parlophone Records released a new compilation titled Love Songs. The musical Tina playing at the Aldwych Theatre in the West End, September 2019. In December 2016 Turner announced that she had been working on Tina, a musical based on her life story, in collaboration with Phyllida Lloyd and Stage Entertainment. The show opened at the Aldwych Theatre in London in April 2018 with Adrienne Warren in the lead role. Warren reprised her role on Broadway in the fall of 2019. Turner received the 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and her second memoir, My Love Story, was released in October 2018. In 2020, she came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. [2] With this release, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades in the UK. In 2020, Turner released her third book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. She co-wrote the book with American author Taro Gold and Swiss singer Regula Curti. It was chosen by Amazon’s editors as a Best Nonfiction book of 2020. In 2021, Turner appeared in the documentary film Tina directed by Dan Lindsay and T. Later that month, Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, accepting her award via satellite from her home near Zurich, Switzerland.