Tina Turner

Tina Turner Headshot

Singer

Birth Date: November 26, 1939

Death Date: May 24, 2023

Birth Place: Nutbush, Tennessee

Tina Turner was an icon of rock and R&B, with a string of major comebacks to her credit. She was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, TN, a city she'd celebrate in the 1973 song "Nutbush City Limits." There was family turmoil in her life at an early age, as her mother abandoned her abusive father when Anna was eleven; as a teen she was a social worker, a cheerleader and an aspiring nurse. As a sideline she did a nightclub act with her sister Ruby Alline; history took its course when she caught Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm at a St. Louis gig and talked her way onstage. Ike took control of her life as well as her career, giving her the name Tina Turner years before they were actually married. As a duo they produced a number of landmarks, including a hit cover of Sly Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher" and the Phil Spector-produced "River Deep, Mountain High" (which Spector considered his greatest record; legend holds that he never got over its lack of chart success). Tina's ferocious live performances established her as a vocal powerhouse as well as a sex symbol; her rock & roll fans included the Rolling Stones who had Ike & Tina open their U.S. tour in 1966. But there were problems behind the scenes as Ike developed a raging cocaine habit; Tina began working more on her own (playing the Acid Queen in The Who's "Tommy" film in 1975), and the couple divorced in 1978. Tina would later reveal (in her 1986 autobiography I, Tina) that Ike was physically abusive; Ike was not a well-respected figure when he died of an overdose in 2007. Tina slowly rebuilt her career, working with fans/peers Rod Stewart and Chuck Berry. 1982 brought a surprise U.K. hit, a cover of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" with the techno duo B.E.F. (alias Heaven 17). This led to a U.K.-produced comeback album, Private Dancer, which was a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic, spawning six hit singles (seven in the U.K., where the album included the Beatles song "Help!") including "What's Love Got to Do With It," the signature song for the remainder of her career. Tina remained a fixture on the charts and in pop culture for decades to come; the next hit ("We Don't Need Another Hero") appeared in the movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" (1985), in which she also acted. Most of her later records followed in a pop/rock direction, and she continued to work with fellow superstars-singing with Mick Jagger at Live Aid, and recording a U2-written theme for the James Bond movie "Goldeneye" (1995). The 1993 biography film "What's Love Got to Do With It" added to her legend and hinged largely on the conflicts with Ike. She moved toward retirement at the end of the 2000s, making sporadic appearances with Beyonce and the group Beyond (a Buddhist-themed group from her adopted home in Switzerland). In 2018, she published her second memoir, My Love Story.

Credits

Ricordando Tina Turner

Self
TV Show
2023

The Best of The Ed Sullivan Show

Self
TV Show
2023

When Tina Turner Came to Britain

Guest
TV Show
2022

The Sound of 007Stream

Self
TV Show
2022

Legends in Concert: Ike & Tina Turner

Actor
TV Show
2022

Clive Davis: The Most Iconic PerformancesStream

Self
TV Show
2022

Love Song Hall of Fame

Music Performer
TV Show
2022

Tina Turner: Ask Me How I Feel (Live in Barcelona, 1990)

Music Performer
TV Show
2022

Tina Turner: Nutbush City Limits (Live in Barcelona, 1990)

Music Performer
TV Show
2022

Tina Turner: Simply the Best

Self
TV Show
2021

Tina Turner: Live in Barcelona

Self
TV Show
2021

Hit List: March 2021

Music Performer
TV Show
2021

80s New Year's Eve Party

Music Performer
TV Show
2021

TinaStream

Self
Movie
2021
92%

Tina Turner: Live!

Music Performer
TV Show
2020

Guest Curator: Luke Bryan

Music Performer
TV Show
2020

Kygo & Tina Turner: What's Love Got to Do with It

Music Performer
TV Show
2020

Hit List: February 2021

Music Performer
TV Show
2020

Hit List: January 2020

Music Performer
TV Show
2019

Tina Turner: Better Be Good to Me

Music Performer
TV Show
2018

Tina Turner: Simply the Best

Guest
TV Show
2018

Hit Melody Vintage

Music Performer
TV Show
2015

The Jonathan Ross ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
2011

Tina Turner: Live in Holland

Self
TV Show
2009

Tina Live!

Music Performer
TV Show
2009

Video Killed the Radio Star

Self
TV Show
2009

Tina Turner: The Best (Live)

Music Performer
TV Show
2009

Tina Turner: What's Love Got to Do with It (Live)

Music Performer
TV Show
2009

Tina Turner: What's Love Got to Do With It

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Private Dancer

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Better Be Good to Me

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Addicted to Love (Live at Camden Palace)

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Be Tender With Me Baby

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: I Can't Stand the Rain (Live in Rio)

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Love Thing

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Steamy Windows

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: What You Get Is What You See

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: I Can't Stand the Rain

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Foreign Affair

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: The Best

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Break Every Rule

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Tina Turner: Nutbush City Limits

Music Performer
TV Show
2007

Tina Turner: One Last Time Live in Concert

Music Performer
TV Show
2005

The Insider

Guest
TV Show
2004

Tina Turner Live in Rio

Music Performer
TV Show
2001

Tina Tuner: One Last Time Live in Concert

Self
TV Show
2000

アルマーニ

Actor
Movie
2000

Ally McBealStream

Guest Star
TV Show
1997
61%

Tina Turner: It's Only Love

Music Performer
TV Show
1996

What's Love Got to Do With ItStream

Writer (Story)
Movie
1993
96%

Last Action HeroStream

Actor
The Mayor
Movie
1993
40%

Tina Turner: Look Me in the Heart

Music Performer
TV Show
1990

Tina Turner: I Don't Wanna Lose You

Music Performer
TV Show
1989

Tina Turner & David Bowie: Tonight

Music Performer
TV Show
1988

The Oprah Winfrey ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
1986

Tina Turner: We Don't Need Another Hero

Music Performer
TV Show
1985

Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeStream

Actor
Aunty Entity
Movie
1985
81%

Tina Turner: What's Love Got to Do With It (Black & White/Original Version)

Music Performer
TV Show
1984

Entertainment Tonight

Guest
TV Show
1981

Luna Park

Guest Star
TV Show
1979

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
TV Show
1979

Saturday Night LiveStream

Music Performer
TV Show
1975

TommyStream

Actor
The Acid Queen
Movie
1975
71%

Parkinson

Music Performer
TV Show
1971

Soul to Soul

Actor
Movie
1971

Gimme Shelter

Self
Movie
1970

Andy's Love Concert

Self
Movie
1969

Name of the Game

Guest Star
TV Show
1968

The Dick Cavett ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
1968

Top of the Pops

Music Performer
TV Show
1964

News about
Tina Turner