Tina Turner…the Queen of Rock and Roll hasn’t arrived yet
The entire world is waving farewell to the Queen of Rock and Roll, the Swiss-American singer Tina Turner, who passed away the day before yesterday evening, at her home near Zurich, Switzerland, at the age of 83, during which she achieved tremendous musical successes, as she was a “star larger than life,” as he loves. To be described by its large audience spread all over the world.
Anna Mae Bullock, better known as Tina Turner, began her musical career in the early 1960s, when she was part of the rai and soul band Ickts, with her ex-husband, Ike Turner. The duo quickly became an artistic phenomenon, topping the Top R&B Recordings charts and being unanimous in the duet genre, with songs like It’s Gonna Work Out Fine and You Can’t Miss Nothing That You Never Had, as well as Grammy nominations. Several, and her appearance in November 1967 on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, becoming the first woman and the first black artist to appear on the cover of the magazine.
No one expected that the beloved duo would stop performing at their peak, especially with the news that they had signed a major contract with Cream Records for five years. But artistic differences, plus Ike’s drug addiction at the time, made the couple go their separate ways in the mid-1970s. Tina ran away from Ike after a physical altercation on the way to work, with only 36 cents in her pocket. She hid in the Ramada Hotel, but she quickly brushed off the effects of that incident and filed for an official divorce, which she obtained in 1978, which was not enough for the production company “United Artists”, which released two studio albums for the duo after their separation: Delilah’s Power in 1977 and Airwaves in 1978.
That cruel incident would mark Tina Turner as we know her today; A strong, sensual, and extremely self-assured woman. Turner upright on the plank like a perennial cypress. In her voice, there was a highness, impulsiveness, and energy that distinguished her from the rest of her generation during a period of intense competition among emerging artists. Her voice combines the strength and daring of a rock performer with the generous soulfulness of a blues singer. Turner was not an ordinary singer in any way, especially since she imposed her presence on the American music elite, despite the difficult circumstances of that stage for women and for African-American singers alike, and she also faced financial difficulties during her separation from her husband, especially since she had lost property Most of her previous work, and she now has to start from scratch in building her reputation, managing her financial affairs, and restoring her name, which Ike Turner chose for her in order to keep it as one of his projects, but she succeeded in the end by snatching the rights to her entire stage name.
To turn the page, Turner had to re-create her artistic image and establish herself as a solo artist, which is a huge challenge in the world of the music industry, especially after her fans knew and loved her in her first appearance with her husband, Ike. Turner was unsure of the results, but began her solo career in the mid-1970s, veering towards rock noticeably with hardcore hits like Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits, while continuing to explore other musical styles, such as soul and blues, in her music.
In addition to her accomplishments with former music partner Ike, Turner’s solo work includes 10 studio albums, two live albums, and five compilations. She has sold more than 100 million records, won several Grammy Awards, and her singles have charted high on many of the best-selling songs charts in America and abroad. Turner has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once with her husband, Ike, and the second time, entirely alone.
This was not a return, as Tina herself tells in the 2021 HBO documentary that bears her name. Rather, it is more correct that Tina “has not arrived yet.” Ik’s name is now hers, along with that of her fans, as the up-and-coming artist quickly gained the title “Queen of Rock and Roll” and became the oldest artist to reach number one, as the most streamed artist at 44 with “What’s Love Got”. To Do With It. Designer Debbie Allen called it “an anthem for girls of color,” and others showered it with endless messages of praise and gratitude.
Turner’s life was not without hardships and challenges even after her violent divorce for decades, and she ascended to the throne of pop music later during her artistic career, as she witnessed the death of her two sons, and faced many health challenges, so she was exposed to vocal problems and physical injuries as a result of her strong performance on stage, and she underwent long surgeries and treatments. In addition, Turner faced the natural challenges of aging, including a number of strokes, one of which was from her second wedding to German music producer Irwin Bach, kidney failure and cancer. “I never want to look back,” Turner tells The Guardian in a recent interview before her passing. “I fought a lot my whole life. I want to move forward.”
Of course, her fights haven’t lost her sense of humor, and when asked what she sees as a superpower in herself, she replies by wearing six-inch heels while performing. Her response is understandable given her continued desire to avoid associating her name with the narrative of the invincible woman. “I don’t want to be the tough guy,” she told The New York Times. “I had a terrible life, but I moved on. That’s what we do, and we hope something happens.”
Rather than take pride in herself, Turner credits Buddhism for beginning to practice its rituals at a later stage and finding in them, like singing, self-medication and a way to avoid bad feelings and fear of what’s to come, including death.
Not only was Turner an influential role model in the history of pop music, but she was a prominent feminist voice in a time when it was not the norm to speak about abuse or even defend oneself against it. The late artist’s audience finds solace in her recent interviews, in which she described the past years of her life as exemplary, despite all the professional and personal difficulties. After retiring from singing more than ten years ago, Tina is still surrounded by her many fans, including family members, colleagues, and emerging artists who find in her poignant experience a lesson in humility, action, and self-respect.
