Rock 'n' Roll icon, 'Private Dancer' hit-maker, winner of eight Grammys, Tina Turner dies at 83

Soulful diva Tina Turner, who had a lengthy run of ‘60s and ‘70s R&B hits and struck major pop stardom during the ‘80s, died after a long illness at her home in Kusnacht, near Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday. She was 83.

“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” her representative said in a statement.

More than a decade after her crossover hit Proud Mary with husband Ike, Tina Turner ascended to the pinnacle of pop fame with the 1984 Capitol Records album Private Dancer. The collection, which spawned a trio of top-10 pop hits, sold five million copies and garnered four Grammy Awards.

Screen act

Raw-voiced, leggy, peripatetic and provocative onstage, the magnetic Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock in the farming community Nutbush, Tennessee, segued effortlessly into big screen roles.

She appeared as the Acid Queen in Ken Russell’s 1975 adaptation of the rock opera Tommy and as villainess Aunty Entity in George Miller’s action sequel Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. She sang the title song, penned by Bono and the Edge of U2, for the 1995 James Bond film Golden Eye.

The winner of eight Grammys, Turner was a 1991 Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and was recognised at the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors for her achievements.

Turner was still in her teens when she began recording with future husband Ike Turner; their tumultuous partnership produced 15 years of popular singles, culminating in the 1971 crossover smash Proud Mary. In 1976, the vocalist fled her abusive marriage and she detailed her violence-scarred relationship in the 1986 bestseller I, Tina, which served as the basis for the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It.

In 1993, Turner scored her final U.S. top 10 hit with I Don’t Wanna Fight, a song recorded for the top-20 soundtrack of the biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It. Director Brian Gibson’s film starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, who both received Oscar nods for their work, just as Ike and Tina.

Spiritual note

A devotee of Buddhist chanting since the early 1970s, who never abandoned the Baptist faith of her youth, Turner released Beyond, a collaborative album of Buddhist and Christian music and chanting in 2012.

In 2013 — the same year she relinquished her American citizenship and took up residency in Switzerland — Turner married German music exec Irwin Bach, her companion of 27 years. She suffered a number of ailments in her later years, but the most severe of these was kidney disease. — IANS

Tributes trail

“How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma, and used it as a means to help change the world?” Angela Bassett, actress

“Epitome of power and passion.” Beyonce, singer

“She was a role model not only for me, but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.” Oprah Winfrey, talk show host

“Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself… Today we join fans around the world in honouring the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll and a star whose light will never fade.” Barack Obama, former US president

“Our first symbol of excellence and unbridled ownership of sexuality! You were my childhood.” Viola Davis, actress

“I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.” Mick Jagger, musician

“We have lost one of the world’s most exciting and electric performers. A total legend on record and on stage. She was untouchable. Condolences to Erwin and her family. The saddest news.” Elton John, singer

“In addition to being a once-in-a-generation talent that changed American music forever, Tina’s personal strength was remarkable. Joe Biden, US president

“While we mourn the loss of this iconic voice and presence, she gave us more than we could have ever asked.” Bryan Adams, singer