Music legend Tina Turner, who “enchanted millions” with enduring hits such as (Simply) The Best and What’s Love Got to Do With It?, has died aged 83.
The Grammy Award-winning singer died peacefully at home in Switzerland after a long illness, her representative said.
Turner had suffered ill-health in recent years. She was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017.
The news was posted to Turner’s Instagram page on Thursday morning (AEDT).
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the post read.
“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.”
Tina Turner, a powerful performer and music icon. Photo: Getty
A pop icon who sold more than 100 million records, Turner was regarded as the queen of rock’n’roll.
Many of her biggest songs, which rocketed up the charts in the 1980s, have stood the test of time.
The stirring The Best (1989) remains a popular rugby league anthem in Australia after she became the face of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s, performing with Jimmy Barnes.
The classic What’s Love Got to Do With It? returned to the airwaves in 2022 when Turner teamed up with Norwegian DJ Kygo for a popular remix.
Other enduring favourites include Proud Mary, Nutbush City Limits, Private Dancer and We Don’t Need Another Hero.
Tweet from @JimmyBarnes
Less than six months ago, Turner suffered huge sorrow with the death of her son Ronnie, who was 62, seemingly only three weeks after falling ill.
Ronnie was Turner’s second son with former husband Ike. His death came four years after her first-born Craig died by suicide.
“Ronnie, you left the world far too early,” Turner wrote on Instagram at the time.
“In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son.”
Rolling Stones legend Sir Mick Jagger was among the first to pay tribute to Turner as news of her death went around the world.
“I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner,” Jagger posted on Twitter.
“She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”
Diana Ross said she was “shocked” and “saddened”.
“Sending condolences to Tina Turner’s family and loved ones.”
Tweet from @MickJagger
Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee.
In a career that spanned six decades, she won eight Grammy Awards and stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St Louis Walk of Fame.
She had a famously turbulent relationship with Ike, her husband from 1962 to 1978.
In her 1986 autobiography I, Tina, the singer narrated a harrowing tale of abuse, including suffering a broken nose during the couple’s marriage. The book was turned into the 1993 film What’s Love Got To Do With It, dramatising the relationship.
When Ike died in December 2007, Tina’s spokeswoman said: “Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made.”
Turner wed her long-time German beau, music executive Erwin Bach, in a Swiss civil ceremony in 2013.
In autobiography Tina Turner: My Love Story, published in 2018, she revealed that Bach saved her life by donating one of his kidneys.
In 2008 she duetted at the Grammys with Beyonce for a rendition of Proud Mary, which featured both the powerful singers, in sparkly outfits, mirroring each other’s choreography.
Other notable duets through her career included performing with David Bowie and in 1985 she took to the stage with Jagger during Live Aid.
She teamed up with Bono and The Edge of U2 fame for the theme track for 1995’s GoldenEye Bond film.
A musical based on her life, titled Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, opened on London’s West End in 2018.
Her career spanned more than music, with her starring in 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome alongside Mel Gibson. She also appeared in 1993’s Last Action Hero.
In 2021, Turner sold the rights to her back catalogue after reaching an agreement with BMG for an undisclosed sum, signing over her share of her recordings, her music publishing writer’s share and her name, image and likeness, the company said.
Her solo works include 10 studio albums, two live albums, two soundtracks and five compilations, which together have sold more than 100 million records.
