Tina Turner - 80: What Saved the Life of the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

November 26 marks the 80th anniversary of the legendary American singer, winner of 8 Grammy awards and the title of Queen of Rock and Roll Tina Turner. For more than 20 years she has lived in her villa in Switzerland, enjoys family happiness and goes on stage only for her own pleasure. But it was not always so - there were such periods when life seemed to her a nightmare. What made Tina Turner attempt suicide twice, how she found her happiness after 45 years, and who became her guardian angel - further in the review.

Tina Turner's real name is Anna Mae Bullock. She was born in the provincial town of Nutbush, Tennessee, into a simple family. The local church choir became its first stage. Anna had no friends - no one wanted to be friends with "Monkey", as the neighboring boys called her. She was the smallest and thinnest in school, for which she received such a nickname. The radio saved her from loneliness, the girl knew all the hits by heart.

When Anna was 10 years old, her parents divorced. One day, the mother went to St. Louis to visit relatives, and then said that she had met another man there and did not intend to return to the family. Upon learning of this, the father left the children to his grandmother, and he himself moved to Canada. This was Anna's first big shock. Then she felt like no one needed and made the first attempt at suicide.

After the death of her grandmother, Anna and her sister moved to her mother in St. Louis. The sisters often attended music parties and at one of them, in the Manhattan club, they met the leader of the blues band “The Kings of Rhythm” Ike Turner. Since then, Anna has become a regular at his concerts. Once she took the microphone in her hands - and struck on the spot both the musicians and the audience in the hall. Ike Turner even interrupted the performance to express his admiration for her. So Anna became the vocalist of the Kings of Rhythm group.

At first, Anna had an affair with the group's saxophonist Raymond Hill, but it ended immediately after the birth of their son Craig. And the creative tandem of Hayk and Anna soon grew into a family union. Later, the singer said: "".

In 1962 Hayk and Anna got married, she took his last name, and he invented a new stage name for her - Tina. They also renamed their group - "Ike and Tina Turner Review". A year later, the couple had a son, Ronald, but they practically did not pause in their concert activities - in the 1960-1970s. their group was very popular, they released one hit after another. Ike was an excellent musician and manager, and for Tina Turner he became Pygmalion - he completely created her stage image and helped to gain self-confidence and reveal all her talents.

But in family life, Hayk turned out to be a tyrant - he abused drugs, and under their influence he lost control over himself and arranged beatings. Later, the singer admitted that throughout all 16 years of their marriage, she was constantly abused: "".

Her life turned into a nightmare. Her husband forced her to work around the clock, the tour took 270 days a year. Finding herself on the verge of despair, the singer made another suicide attempt. Fortunately, she was saved. After that, she made a firm decision to leave her husband. In 1976, she ran away from home, and after 2 years she filed for divorce. All that remained after her first marriage was 35 cents in her pocket, a sonorous pseudonym and a penalty for canceled concerts. But, as it turned out, this was enough not only to start life from scratch, but also to reach heights in a solo career.

Friends lent her money and bought a ticket to California, where the singer began a new life. She canceled joint concerts and organized several solo ones. All her savings went to her ex-husband - Tina called this at the price of her freedom. No one else dictated to her what to do, and it gave her strength. "", - the singer later admitted.

At first, no one perceived Tina Turner as a solo singer, but after a few years she managed to destroy this stereotype. In 1984, she released the album "Private Dancer", which became the most commercially successful of her career, a year later embarked on her first solo world tour with 170 concerts, and then received the Grammy awards one after another. In 1996, her world tour had already lasted a whole year and was held with constant sold out.

Once at a party in London, Tina Turner met a young producer Erwin Bach. At that time she was 46, and he was 30 (only 3 years more than her eldest son). The couple began an affair, in the longevity of which no one believed, and above all Tina herself. Following her chosen one, the singer moved to Europe, and soon they settled in Switzerland together.

In 2013, the news spread around the world: 73-year-old Tina Turner married 57-year-old Erwin Bach. After their relationship has passed the test of time, the singer finally decided to take this step. Since then, she feels absolutely happy and calls this period the best in her life. Tina lives in Switzerland in her villa, equipped with a sauna, swimming pool, massage room and fitness equipment. Mountain walks and fitness allowed her to stay in great shape and look significantly younger than her years.

True, the singer carefully hid from the public that this happiness was not cloudless - age made itself felt. 3 months after the wedding, Tina Turner suffered a stroke, and 2 years later she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The operation and the subsequent chemotherapy damaged the kidneys so badly that they had to undergo a transplant. Her husband Erwin became a kidney donor. In 2018, Tina admitted: "".

Sometimes she gives concerts, but she does it solely for her own pleasure. The singer says: "". It remains only to wish the wonderful singer and amazing woman Tina Turner long life and new hits!

For everyone, she remains "Simply the best": So different and always gorgeous Tina Turner.