Tina Turner, Rock ‘n Roll  Legend, Dead at 83

Tina Turner, the rock powerhouse who launched an incredibly successful solo career, has died. She was 83.

Turner’s death was confirmed by Deadline, which included the following statement from Turner’s rep in their report: “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”

The outlet reported that Turner died today “after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.”

Turner first found success as part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, where she performed alongside her husband, Ike Turner. After enduring years of abuse from Ike, Tina left him and became even more famous and successful, forging an incredible solo career that made her into one of the most renowned and decorated female rock artists of all time.

Her inspiring rise was chronicled in 2021’s Tina, an HBO documentary featuring Tina re-telling her challenging life story and the tale of her impressive career. Tina’s life also inspired the 1993 drama What’s Love Got to Do with It, which starred Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. The fictionalized take on her life didn’t sit well with Tina, who called the film “terrible” and “awful” in her HBO doc.

Tina’s life also served as the basis of the 2021 Broadway musical Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.

Tina may have inspired a feature film and a play, but she also did her own acting in films entirely unrelated to her personal life. Tina’s most notable credit is Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the 1985 film in which she played Aunty Entity. She also appeared in Tommy, Last Action Hero and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. At the time of her death, she was rumored to have a role in the TV movie Miriam Makeba: The last show, which is currently in pre-production, per IMDb.

Tina was born in Nutbush, Tennessee on November 26, 1939. She began her career in the late ’50s, per The New York Times, and went on to tour with the Rolling Stones as part of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. When she split from Ike in the ’70s, Tina had a brief career dip before releasing her smash hit album in 1984, titled “Private Dancer.”

Tina went on to win three awards for her song “What’s Love Got to Do With It” at the next year’s Grammys, including record of the year, and won best female rock vocal performance for “Better Be Good To Me.” Not only that, but her album sold five million copies, per the Times.

Tina  was also known for her electrifying live performances, and spoke about the impact of being a woman in her 40s dominating rock ‘n roll in Tina. While she experienced years of abuse and struggle in her marriage, Tina often spoke of finding herself in her comeback.

“Once I could see myself clearly, I began to change, opening the way to confidence and courage,” she said in a 2021 interview with the Harvard Business Review. “It took a few years, but finally I was able to stand up for my life and start anew.”