Powerhouse doesn’t even begin to describe Tina Turner as a vocalist, performer, style icon, and social force. But for all the laudatory words uttered about her during her remarkable 60-plus year career, survivor may be the most apt, and the most meaningful. In this special issue of Pop Icons, we look holistically at the remarkable life of Tina Turner from her childhood in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her well-earned retirement in Zurich, Switzerland. To inspire your playlist, we also examine her 10 key performances and offer a checklist of her must-have recordings.
TINA TURNER • How the music legend found her voice
The gift that keeps on giving
SHOW SOME RESPECT • Powerhouse doesn’t even begin to describe Tina Turner as a vocalist, performer, style icon, and social force. But for all the laudatory words uttered about her during her remarkable 60-plus-year career, survivor may be the most apt, and the most meaningful.
NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS • Anna Mae Bullock grew up in Tennessee, raised with a fierce work ethic from picking cotton and a musical education from singing in the church choir. She had drive, but with a fractured and fraught household, what she didn’t have was love.
RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH • The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was a soul spectacle unlike any other, crossing from the R&B charts to pop stardom behind Turner’s electric performances. What the public didn’t know was that the stage was her escape from the harrowing abuse she faced at home.
IKE TURNER 1931–2007
PHIL SPECTOR 1939–2021
“PROUD MARY”
MOTHER OF REINVENTION • After leaving Ike, Turner was slowly but steadily crafting and honing the image and sound she had wanted ever since her career began. Although she disliked calling it a comeback, Turner released solo album Private Dancer in 1984—and found breakthrough success at the age of 44.
MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME
“WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT”
REACHING IMMORTALITY • With a best-selling autobiography, her life turned into a major motion picture, a James Bond theme song, and accolades galore, Turner achieved living-legend status.
MOVIE MOXIE
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT (1993)
SIREN OF STYLE • Big hair, bold lips, high heels, and fringe-fabulous costumes—Turner created signature looks that paired well with her stage persona and accentuated her long, very insured legs.
SIMPLY THE BEST • Her legacy secure with a jukebox musical and a definitive documentary, Turner has stepped out of the public eye to live quietly with husband Erwin Bach in Switzerland, finding a peace that has long eluded her.
TINA—THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL (2018–PRESENT)
ERWIN BACH (B. 1956)
TINA IN REVIEW • Here, we look at what made Tina Turner a showstopper, chart her 10 key performances, and offer a checklist for an astounding discography.
TEN KEY PERFORMANCES
THE CHECKLIST
Tina Turner
PHOTO CREDITS
