Oprah Reflects On Being A Tina Turner Fan-Turned-Friend
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Oprah Winfrey and Tina Turner’s friendship is quite the magical one. Amid news of the latter’s death on Wednesday (May 24) at age 83, the retired daytime talk show host reflected on how she went from a fan to “full-on groupie” and ultimately, a friend of the “What’s Love Got To Do With It” phenom.
Accompanied by a series of photos throughout the years, Winfrey began, “I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends.”
Continuing, the tribute reads, “She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.”
The 69-year-old called Turner’s life post-Ike, “a clarion call for triumph.” Additionally, she recalled Turner speaking on her mortality in an enlightening way. Winfrey explained, “She once shared with me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious. Because she had learned how to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends.”
Overall, for Winfrey, “I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best.”
In a separate post, the media mogul shared a clip of her and Turner onstage singing during her Wildest Dreams Tour, calling it a “glimpse of her enchanted world.” Winfrey recalled being “so nervous that my knees were actually knocking together [but] dancing onstage with her in Los Angeles was the most fun I ever remember having stepping out of my box.”
Relive the moment below.
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