Tina Turner, the Ultimate Trailblazer for Women in Rock ’n’ Roll, Has Died

Tina Turner, one of music's most recognizable voices and a formative force in rock'n'roll, has died at 83. The singer, known for hits such as "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got to Do With It," passed after a long illness at her home near Zurich, Switzerland, per Deadline.

“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” the star's publicist, Bernard Doherty, said in a statement.

Turner's estate confirmed the news on her official Instagram, writing alongside a black and white photo of the late superstar, "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly."

Turner is one of the defining voices of the 20th century, and has one of the most famously heartbreaking personal stories of the century as well. Before she became the "Queen of Rock 'n Roll" and one of the best-selling female artists in music history, she was Anna Mae Bullock, born in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, the youngest daughter of Floyd Richard Bullock and his wife Zelma Priscilla. Like many eventual superstars, she discovered her musical gift while participating in church choir and leaned on her faith as she escaped a tumultuous upbringing.

To support herself as a young woman, she began performing in small clubs in and around St. Louis, where she eventually met musician Ike Turner—a moment that altered the course of her career, and that the singer would ultimately consider a simultaneous blessing and a curse. Their union has become music industry folklore: Tina persuaded Ike to let her sing in his band, where she quickly became a star thanks to her powerhouse voice. But over the course of their working relationship and eventual marriage, Ike was extremely abusive. Tina explained in her 2021 HBO documentary that when the pair finally divorced in 1978, the only thing she thought worth fighting was the ownership of her name. It was all she had to keep in order to maintain any sort of career for herself. From there, Tina Turner as a solo entity and musical force was born.

While Turner's hits alongside Ike during the 1950's and 60's included "Proud Mary" and "Baby Get It On," her ultimate heyday has always been considered the 1980s. Her 1984 album Private Dancer featured the hit that ultimately changed her life—"What's Love Got to Do with It"— alongside other tracks such as "Let's Stay Together" and "I Can't Stand the Rain." But "What's Love" became the song that defined not only the era, but her whole career, transforming her into a rock 'n roll icon. It also notoriously the song she never wanted to record.

"It was terrible. It was awful," Turner said during her documentary. "I was rock and roll. ... This was a pop song. They weren't used to [a] strong voice standing on top of music. But I converted it and made it my own."

The star's on-stage style was almost as unforgettable as her voice: tinsel-fringed mini dresses, chain-mail halter tops, sky-high heels, an edgy, spikey '80s blowout. In her photo book That's My Life, she wrote about how embracing edgier fashion onstage helped her become "stronger, more confident, happier, [and] loved."

Turner's recent documentary was widely considered a farewell of sorts to fans, released years after she had already announced her official retirement.

"How do you bow out slowly, just go away?” she asked, fighting tears, at the end of the film. The project featured appearances from her husband Erwin Bach, who she remained married to until the time of her passing. She also had four children: Craig, who she welcomed with former partner Raymond Hill; Ike Jr. and Michael, who she adopted from Ike Sr.’s former marriage; and Ronnie, who she welcomed with Ike. Craig died in 2018 at 59 years old and the singer dedicated her documentary to his memory.

One of the singer's final public appearances was appearing at the opening of the Broadway show Tina Turner, based on the story of her life. “She said, I’m going to America and say goodbye to my American fans and I’ll wrap it up,” Bach said in the documentary. “And I think this documentary and the play, this is it. It’s a closure.”

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