In the realm of Rock ‘n’ Roll music, no artist elicited more excitement, fervor, and sheer respect than Tina Turner.
A favorite with music critics, in 2018, a writer for The Guardian noted her “swagger, sensuality, gravelly vocals and unstoppable energy,” while journalist Kurt Loder (of MTV fame) described Turner’s voice as a combination “emotional force of the great blues singers with a sheer, wallpaper-peeling power that seemed made to order for the age of amplification.”
After selling more than 20 million copies of her debut solo album, Private Dancer worldwide in 1984,
and winning three Grammy Awards (including “Record of the Year” and “Best Female Vocal Performance”) for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” this introspective and mournful tune became Turner’s signature song.
Turner followed this musical success with a primary role in the film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (in 1985), and continued to produce a string of highly-successful albums including Break Every Rule (in 1986), Foreign Affair (in 1989), and Wildest Dreams (in 1996).
One of the most prolific musical artists in history, Turner produced 9 studio albums, a soundtrack album (for “What’s Love Got to do With It”), 6 compilation albums, more than 60 singles, 10 singles as “featured artist,” 16 video albums, 20 music videos, and appeared 25 times as a guest artist on other artists’ songs.
In 2021, Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (for the second time).
Early Life
Anna Mae Bullock (Turner) was born on November 26, 1939, in Brownsville, Tennessee, to Floyd Richard Bullock and Zelma Priscilla (née Currie).
Turner had two older sisters: Evelyn Juanita Currie and Ruby Alline Bullock. (Sister Ruby Bullock also made a name for herself as a songwriter, having written several hits for bandleader-guitarist Ike Turner.)
The Bullocks lived in the rural community of Nutbush, Tennessee, where Turner’s father was a sharecropper overseer at Poindexter Farm; Turner later recalled picking cotton with her family while still a child.
During World War II., the three sisters were separated when their parents relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, to work at a defense facility. Turner was sent to live with her strict, religious paternal grandparents, Alex and Roxanna Bullock, church elders at the Woodlawn Missionary Baptist Church.
When the war ended, the sisters were reunited and moved with their parents back to Knoxville; then to Nutbush.
Education
From first through eighth grade, Turner attended Flagg Grove Elementary School.
Though just an average student, Turner was very outgoing and joined both the cheer-leading squad and all-girl basketball team at Carver High School, in Brownsville. In her own words, “I socialized every chance I got.”
In 1958, at the age of 19, Turner graduated from Sumner High School, then got a job as a nurse’s aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Childhood
Even as a young girl, Turner’s vocal talents were apparent; she sang in the church choir at Nutbush Spring Hill Baptist Church.
In 1950, when she was 11, Turner’s mother Zelma left without warning; said to have run away from her abusive husband Floyd Bullock, relocating to St. Louis, Missouri.
Two years later, her father married another woman and moved to Detroit, Michigan; Turner and her sisters sent to live with their maternal grandmother, Georgeanna Currie, in Brownsville, Tennessee.
In her teens, Turner worked as a house-keeper for a family named Henderson, in Ripley, Tennessee. She was employed there when she was notified that her sister Evelyn was killed in a car crash, along with her cousins, Margaret and Vela Evans.
Turner later confessed in her autobiography, I, Tina, that she never felt loved nor wanted by her parents.
Date With Destiny
By 1956, the future “Tina Turner” and her sister Ruby were performing at nightclubs in St. Louis and East St. Louis, Missouri.
Per chance, or by design, Turner visited the Club Manhattan in East St. Louis, the venue where the popular band Ike Turner the Kings of Rhythm were performing to packed houses. As Turner later described their first encounter, she was so impressed by his talent that she “almost went into a trance” watching him play.
Turner tried to persuade Ike to let her sing in his band (despite knowing that his then wife, Annie Mae Wilson, was part of the band; on piano and vocals), but he never did. Finally, one night in 1956, Turner took it upon herself to grab the microphone and began singing the B.B. King blues ballad, “You Know I Love You.” Upon hearing Turner’s voice, Ike let her sing for the remainder of the night.
A short time later, he offered her the “featured vocalist” slot in his band; and began their affair.
First Recordings
Turner’s first recording was in 1958 under the name “Little Ann,” singing the Ike Turner original, “Boxtop.” She’s listed as a vocalist on the single, along with Ike and fellow Kings of Rhythm singer Carlson Oliver.
Although Turner had insisted she was ready to sing the song alone, Ike said that he’d decide when she was ready.
While continuing to hone her voice and stage performance, in 1960, Ike wrote “A Fool in Love” for former Rhythm Kings guitarist/singer, Art Lassiter. Turner was slated to sing background with Lassiter’s backing vocalists, the “Artettes.”
But when Lassiter was a no-show for the session, Turner talked Ike into letting her record the song—after all, he’d already paid for the studio time. Ike agreed to allow her to record it as a demo, planning to later replace her vocals with Lassiter and the “Artettes.”
In another turn of events, however, when local St. Louis disc jockey Dave Dixon heard the recording, he convinced Ike to send the song to Juggy Murray, president of the R&B label, Sue Records. Upon hearing the song, Murray was so impressed with Turner’s voice (which he described as “like screaming dirt”), Murray offered Ike a $25,000 advance for the recording and publishing rights.
Murray also convinced Ike to make Tina “the star of the show.”
Success and the Ike & Tina Turner Review
In July of 1960, anyone who wasn’t already a fan of “Tina Turner” became one when “A Fool in Love” hit the airwaves–reaching No. 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart and No. 27 on Billboard Hot 100.
Then in June of 1961, Ike and Tina released the McCoy/Seneca tune “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”–which reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart–earning them a Grammy nomination for “Best Rock and Roll Performance.”
Between 1960 and 1962, Ike and Tina Turner released “I Idolize You,” “Poor Fool,” and “Tra La La La La”–all of which rose to the top of the charts.
With the phenomenal success of “A Fool in Love,” Ike revamped his band to create the Ike & Tina Turner Revue; which included the Kings of Rhythm and back-up girl group the “Ikettes,” who both sang and danced.
As a safe-guard, Ike legally added his last name to Tina’s (the stage name he’d given her) and trademarked the name “Tina Turner.” His strategy was that if Anna Mae Bullock left him to join another band, he could simply replace her with another “Tina Turner.”
Meanwhile, Turner referred to herself as Ann.
Touring and the Rise of “Tina Turner’s” Star
Between 1963 and 1965, the Ike & Tina Turner Review toured constantly, while releasing a string of R&B singles. In 1964, Turner’s first credited single as a solo artist, “Too Many Ties That Bind”/”We Need an Understanding” was released on Ike’s label, Sonja Records.
That same year, the Review signed with Warner Bros. Records; Bob Krasnow becoming their manager. Under Warner Bros., they achieved their first charting album: Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show, which in February of 1965 peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot R&B LP chart.
Also in 1965, their singles, “Tell Her I’m Not Home” and “Good Bye, So Long” were Top-40 R&B hits.
But even this point, the record-buying public were beginning to see Ike and the Review as Turner’s back-up band.
While the entire act appeared on Hollywood a Go-Go, Turner was asked to make solo appearances on American Bandstand and Shindig! And although even famed music producer Phil Spector invited the entire band to perform on a few of his projects, it soon became apparent that his deeper interest was “Tina” herself.
Taking Turner Mainstream
By the mid-1960s, producer Phil Spector was known for the talent he’d discovered–the Crystals, the Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers–and a dozen other artists who quickly became household names.
Knowing that Ike and Tina were a package deal, Spector offered Warner Bros‘ Bob Krasnow $20,000 to
release them from their Loma label contract (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) to sign them to his Philles label and have full creative control.
Choosing a lavish strings production of “River Deep–Mountain High” (in which Ike’s contribution is completely buried), Turner’s voice was featured as never before. This record made the public aware that Tina Turner was far more than an R&B singer.
Released in May of 1966, “River Deep–Mountain High” reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 1 on Los 40 Principales in Spain–but only No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Even so, the overall impact of the song gave Ike & Tina an opening spot on the Rolling Stones UK tour in the fall of 1966, and put Turner on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in November of 1967; the first female artist and first black artist to grace the cover.
Stardom: 1969–1975
Following the Rolling Stone’s tour, the Ike & Tina Turner Review performed on every top-rated TV show in America including The Ed Sullivan Show, Playboy After Dark, and The Andy Williams Show.
Ike and Tina then released two back-to-back LPs: Come Together and Workin’ Together; the albums reflecting a decisive evolution in their style; transitioning from R&B tunes (based in Ike’s early songs) to Rock tunes, such as the Beatles’ “Come Together” and the Stones‘ “Honky Tonk Woman.”
Further emphasizing their new sound, in early 1971, their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” became their biggest hit to date–the single reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100 (selling more than a million copies), and won them a Grammy for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.”
In 1972, Turner turned her energies to writing; subsequently writing nine-out-of-the-ten tracks on their 1972 album, Feel Good. Then the following year, another Turner-penned single, “Nutbush City Limits” reached No. 1 in Austria, No. 4 in the UK, and in the top 5 in several other countries. (Ironically, it only reached No. 22 in the US Pop charts, No. 11 R&B.)
The single, however, sold a quarter of a million copies in the UK (certified silver), earning them a “Golden European Record Award.”
Between 1974 and 1975, amid numerous album releases and Grammy nominations (including Turner’s first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On!, which earned her a “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female,” nomination), Turner traveled to London to film the Who’s Rock Opera Tommy, in which she plays the “Acid Queen,” a drug-addicted prostitute—to critical acclaim.
Parting Ways
By the mid-1970s, Ike Turner’s cocaine addiction and violent rampages had become public knowledge; Turner’s inner circle had known for decades.
Despite this, CBS Television and Cream Records had negotiated a $150,000 per year deal with Ike in exchange for leaving United Artists Records.
But Ike and Tina never made that meeting.
Four days prior, Ike and Tina got into a violent altercation in Dallas, Texas, that forced Turner to flee for her life with just the contents of her pockets: 36 cents and a Mobil credit card. Checking into a near-by Ramada Inn, Turner never returned home
Less than a month later, Turner filed for divorce.
Going Solo
With her divorce pending, lawsuits quickly began piling up regarding canceled Ike & Tina Turner performances.
Provided a good-faith advance from United Artists executive Mike Stewart, Turner began touring to pay off her debts. UA also released two Turner solo albums—but they were both met with lukewarm responses. Fearing Turner’s career would collapse without Ike, UA dropped her.
Between 1976 and 1980, Turner took most any gig offered (including an ill-advised, controversial five-week tour of South Africa during the apartheid regime).
It wasn’t until 1981 that things slowly began to turn around.
In October of 1981, iconic Rocker Rod Stewart attended one of Turner’s shows at the Ritz Rock Club in New York City, and invited her to join him on Saturday Night Live to perform “Hot Legs”—which she gladly accepted.
Then the following month she was invited to open for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 American tour.
“Ball of Confusion”
What would prove a very good year for Turner, in March of 1982, Tina recorded the Temptations‘ hit “Ball of Confusion”–the record rocketing up the charts in the UK and becoming a mainstay of European dance clubs.
Turner then appeared on the album, Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1 for the B.E.F. (British Electric Foundation) singing “Ball of Confusion,” followed by a music video that aired on the Michael Nesmith-inspired music video channel, MTV, becoming one of the first black American artists to gain airtime on that channel.
Also in 1982, Turner appeared as a special guest on Chuck Berry’s television special staged at The Roxy, in West Hollywood, California, again reprising her hit song.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Due to the surprising success of “Ball of Confusion,” Capitol Records gave Turner two weeks to record a studio album tentatively titled, Private Dancer.
Released in May of 1984, Private Dancer reached No. 3 on Billboard 200, No. 2 in the UK, and was certified 5× Platinum in the US, selling 10 million copies worldwide. From this album came one of her most iconic hits, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
Turner’s transformation into a solo-artist superstar was certified when she won three Grammys at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, including Grammys for “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and “Album of the Year” for Private Dancer.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
In 1985, Turner traveled to Australia to co-star with Mel Gibson in the post-apocalyptic film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, portraying the hard-bitten and glamorous ruler of Bartertown, “Aunty Entity.”
Although the critical response to her performance wasn’t always positive, fans of Rock music and the Mad Max franchise, crammed the theaters to see the film. A bonafide global success, the film grossed more than $36 million in the US alone.
To Turner’s credit, she later received the NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Actress” for her role in the film.
Additionally, Turner recorded two singles for the soundtrack: “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” and “One of the Living”–both of which became chart hits; the latter winning her a Grammy for “Best Female Rock Vocal Performance” (her 12th Grammy).
1986—1996
Following the release of two more best-selling albums (one platinum, one gold), multiple award-winning singles, her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, several sold-out world-tours, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Turner returned to the studio once again to record the theme-song for the James Bond film (seventeenth in the series), GoldenEye.
Final Album, Final Tour
In September of 1999, two months before her 60th birthday, Turner released the dance-centric song “When the Heartache Is Over” as the first single from her tenth and final solo album, Twenty Four Seven. The success of the single, and subsequent tour, helped the album become certified gold; the tour grossing over $120 million.
Proud Mary Live in Arnhem Netherlands
At a July 2000 concert in Zürich, Switzerland, Turner announced that she would retire after the tour.
Final Years
In November of 2004, Turner released the greatest hit album, All the Best, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2005 (her highest charting album in the US); the album going platinum three months later.
In December of 2005, Turner was recognized by the “Kennedy Center Honors” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
In February of 2006, Turner released “Teach Me Again,” a duet with Italian singer-songwriter Elisa recorded for the anthology film, All the Invisible Children, the revenues from which donated to various children’s charities via the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
In October of 2008, Turner returned to the tour circuit for the first time in nearly a decade with, Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.
In 2014, Turner was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame.
In December of 2016, Turner announced that she had been working on Tina, a musical based on her life story. The show opened in April of 2018 at the Aldwych Theatre in London (with Adrienne Warren in the lead role.)
In 2018, Turner received Grammy’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.” (Turner is the only female artist to win a Grammy in the Pop, Rock, and R&B fields.)
In October of 2018, her memoir, My Love Story, was released, in which she revealed that she had multiple life-threatening illnesses.
In 2020, Turner published a pictorial autobiography: Tina Turner:That’s My Life.
On May 24, 2023, Anna Mae Bullock Turner died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, at the age of 83. Per her Buddhist beliefs, her body was cremated after a private funeral.
(Note: Upon hearing of her death, King Charles III, who first met Turner in 1985, paid homage to his idol by having the guards play “The Best” in front of Buckingham Palace.)
References:
theguardian.com., “Tina Turner: the making of a rock’n’roll revolutionary,” https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/22/tina-turner-the-making-of-a-rocknroll-revolutionary
britannica.com., “Tina Turner, American-born singer,” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tina-Turner
archive.org., I, Tina, My Life Story, https://archive.org/details/itinamylifestory00turn
books.google.com., My Love Story, https://books.google.com/books/about/My_Love_Story.html?id=O52nDwAAQBAJ
mirror.co.uk., “King Charles pays tribute to Tina Turner in the sweetest way at Buckingham Palace,” https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/king-charles-pays-tribute-tina-30097698
thefamouspeople.com., “Tina Turner Biography,” Tina Turner Biography – Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements (thefamouspeople.com)
books.google.com., Tina Turner: That’s My Life, https://books.google.com/books/about/Tina_Turner_That_s_My_Life.html?id=VF4NEAAAQBAJ
smithsonian.mag.com., “Tina Turner, Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Left an Indelible Mark on Music History,” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tina-turner-career-legacy-180982246/