At 80 years of age in November 2019, Tina Turner shared her vibrant spirit in a video message to her fans, discussing the challenges she had faced and the joy of experiencing "a second chance at life." Yet, a bittersweet announcement came four years later as the revered music icon passed away following a prolonged illness on May 24, as confirmed by her publicist, Bernard Doherty. Her demise occurred at her residence near Zurich, Switzerland, marking the end of an era of music and the loss of an inspirational figure.
Turner, a beacon of resilience, rose from the ashes of suffering and despair to redefine herself in the 1980s. In 2017, she battled kidney failure and intestinal cancer, resulting in a kidney transplant courtesy of her husband, Erwin Bach. Doherty honored her in a statement, acknowledging the world's loss of a "music legend and a role model."
Born as Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 to sharecropper parents, Turner's childhood unfolded predominantly under the care of her grandmother in Nutbush, Tennessee. Anna's talent for singing surfaced in her church choir. She eventually relocated to St. Louis in her teens, where Ike Turner, a prominent musician, discovered her talent in the 1950s. He bestowed her with the stage name Tina Turner, and together they produced iconic hits such as “A Fool in Love,” “River Deep — Mountain High” and “Proud Mary.”
However, her public success was shadowed by personal trauma, as Ike subjected her to relentless abuse. Courageously, in 1976, Turner decided to escape the torment, vowing, "I will die before I go back.”
Following their divorce, Turner embarked on a solo journey with little material possessions but the resilience to stage a comeback. In 1984, she gifted the world her groundbreaking solo album, Private Dancer, and found love anew with German music executive Erwin Bach, a relationship that culminated in their marriage in 2013.
Turner's struggles did not end with her professional triumph and personal happiness, as health issues demanded her attention. However, she tackled them with courage and introspection, even penning down her experiences in her 2018 memoir, Tina Turner: My Love Story.
Tina Turner chose to retire from performing in 2009, desiring to preserve her legacy at its zenith. “I didn’t want people to come to a show and think that I used to be great. ‘Leave the party before it’s over,’ I like to say,” she noted.
The Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Tina, premiered in 2021, served as a poignant farewell. Erwin, in the film, confirmed Tina's intentions to bid adieu to her American fans.
A source conveyed that Turner found tranquillity in her final days. Turner, herself a longtime Buddhist, once declared, "My life has been tough, but it’s been a wonderful journey.”
In Touch reported on the source's comments.