Tina Turner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tina Turner
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Turner in 1970
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Anna Mae Bullock
November 26, 1939 Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Died | May 24, 2023 (aged 83) Küsnacht, Switzerland
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| Years active | 1957–2023 |
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| Children | 4 |
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| Awards | Full list |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
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Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was an American-born and naturalized Swiss singer, dancer, actress, and author. Many people called her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll". She became famous as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Later, she had a very successful career as a solo artist.
Turner started her music journey with Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm, in 1957. She first appeared on a record in 1958, singing on "Boxtop" as Little Ann. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit song "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became known for their amazing live shows. They released popular songs like "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep – Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits". The group broke up in 1976.
In the 1980s, Turner made one of the biggest comebacks in music history. Her 1984 album, Private Dancer, sold millions of copies. It included the hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It". This song won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At 44 years old, she was the oldest female solo artist to reach number one on that chart. Her success continued with songs like "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Fight", and "GoldenEye". In 1988, during her Break Every Rule World Tour, she set a Guinness World Record. She performed for 180,000 people, the largest paying audience for a solo performer at that time.
Turner also acted in movies such as Tommy (1975) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). In 1993, a movie about her life, What's Love Got to Do with It, was released. It was based on her autobiography, I, Tina: My Life Story. In 2009, Turner retired from performing after her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. This tour was one of the highest-earning tours of the 2000s. In 2018, a musical called Tina was created about her life.
Tina Turner sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists ever. She won 12 Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist and first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Rolling Stone magazine listed her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. In 2005, she received the Kennedy Center Honors.
Turner passed away on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83, after a long illness.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939. Her birthplace was Brownsville, Tennessee. She was the youngest daughter of Floyd Richard Bullock and Zelma Priscilla. Her family lived in a small community called Nutbush, Tennessee. Her father worked on a farm there. Tina remembered picking cotton with her family when she was young.
Anna Mae had two older sisters, Evelyn and Ruby Alline. When they were young, their parents moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, for work during World War II. Anna Mae stayed with her grandparents, Alex and Roxanna Bullock. They were very religious. After the war, the sisters reunited with their parents in Knoxville. Two years later, the family returned to Nutbush. Anna Mae went to Flagg Grove Elementary School for eight years.
As a young girl, Anna Mae sang in the church choir at Spring Hill Baptist Church. When she was 11, her mother moved to St. Louis in 1950. Two years later, her father married again and moved to Detroit. Anna Mae and her sisters went to live with their grandmother in Brownsville, Tennessee. She later said that her parents had not wanted her.
When Anna Mae was 16, her grandmother passed away. She then moved to St. Louis to live with her mother. She finished high school at Sumner High School in 1958. After graduating, she worked as a nurse's aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Ike and Tina Turner Partnership
Anna Mae and her sister often visited nightclubs in St. Louis and East St. Louis. She first saw Ike Turner and his band, the Kings of Rhythm, at the Manhattan Club. She was very impressed by his music. She asked Ike if she could sing with his band, but he never called her. One night in 1957, she grabbed the microphone during a break and sang a B.B. King song, "You Know I Love You". Ike was amazed by her voice. He asked her to sing more songs. She sang for the rest of the night and became a main singer in his band. Ike taught her how to control her voice and perform on stage. Her first recording was in 1958, on the song "Boxtop", under the name Little Ann.
In 1960, Ike wrote "A Fool in Love" for another singer. Anna Mae was supposed to sing backup. But the other singer didn't show up. Anna Mae suggested she sing the lead part. Ike decided to record her voice as a demo. A local radio DJ, Dave Dixon, told Ike to send the song to Juggy Murray, who owned Sue Records. Murray loved Anna Mae's voice. He bought the song and paid Ike a lot of money. Murray also convinced Ike to make Anna Mae "the star". Ike then renamed her "Tina" and added his last name, making her "Tina Turner". He even trademarked the name to protect it.
Early Success and Touring
Tina Turner was introduced to the public with "A Fool in Love" in July 1960. The song reached No. 2 on the R&B chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another song, "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 in 1961. This earned them a Grammy nomination. Other early hits included "I Idolize You" and "Poor Fool".
After "A Fool in Love" became a hit, Ike created the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. This group included the Kings of Rhythm band and a female singing group called the Ikettes. Ike stayed in the background as the bandleader. The revue toured constantly across the United States. They performed almost every day. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue became known for their exciting live shows. They were one of the best R&B groups to see perform.
Between 1963 and 1965, the band toured a lot and released some successful R&B songs. Tina's first solo song, "Too Many Ties That Bind", was released in 1964. The duo signed with many different record labels during this time. In 1964, they signed with Loma Records. Their album Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show became their first album to appear on the charts in 1965. Tina's popularity grew after she appeared on TV shows like American Bandstand.
Mainstream Breakthrough
In 1965, music producer Phil Spector saw Ike & Tina Turner perform. He wanted to produce Tina's music. They signed with Spector's Philles label in 1966. Their first song with him was "River Deep – Mountain High". Spector thought this song was his best work. It was a big hit in Europe, reaching No. 3 in the UK. But it only reached No. 88 in the US. Because of this song, Ike & Tina Turner got to open for the Rolling Stones on their UK tour in 1966. In November 1967, Tina Turner became the first female artist and the first black artist to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The duo signed with Blue Thumb Records in 1968. They released the album Outta Season in 1969. This album included their cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long". Later that year, they released The Hunter. The song "The Hunter" earned Tina a Grammy nomination. The success of their albums led them to perform in Las Vegas. Many famous people came to see their shows.
In 1969, Ike & Tina Turner became even more popular in the US. They opened for the Rolling Stones on their US tour. They also appeared on popular TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1970, they released two albums, Come Together and Workin' Together. Their music started to include more rock songs.
In early 1971, their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" became their biggest hit. The song reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 and sold over a million copies. It won them a Grammy Award. In July 1971, their live album, What You Hear Is What You Get, was released. It was recorded at Carnegie Hall and became their first Gold album.
In 1972, they opened their own recording studio, Bolic Sound. Tina started writing more songs. She wrote nine of the ten songs on their 1972 album Feel Good. Their 1973 hit song "Nutbush City Limits", written by Tina, was a big success. It reached No. 1 in Austria and No. 4 in the UK. They received the Golden European Record Award for selling over one million copies of "Nutbush City Limits" in Europe.
In 1974, Tina released her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On!. It earned her a Grammy nomination. That year, Tina also filmed the movie Tommy in London. After Tommy was released in 1975, another solo album by Tina came out, called Acid Queen.
End of the Duo
In 1976, Ike and Tina were performing at the Waldorf Astoria New York. They had plans for a new TV deal and record deal. However, on July 1, they had a disagreement while traveling to a hotel in Dallas. Soon after arriving, Tina left Ike. She had very little money with her. She filed for divorce on July 27, and it was finalized in 1978. After their separation, two more albums by the duo were released.
Tina's Solo Journey
Starting Over
After separating from Ike, Tina had to pay off debts from canceled shows. She started touring again to earn money. In 1977, Tina returned to the stage with new costumes. She performed in cabaret shows in Las Vegas and smaller venues. Later that year, she went on her first solo concert tour in Australia.
In 1978, Tina released her third solo album, Rough. Her next album, Love Explosion (1979), tried out disco music. Neither album was very successful, and she left United Artists Records. Even without a hit record, she kept performing and went on her second solo tour.
In 1979, Australian manager Roger Davies decided to manage Tina after seeing her perform. Tina also worked on an Italian TV show. Later that year, she toured South Africa. She later said she didn't know enough about the politics there at the time.
In 1981, Rod Stewart invited Tina to sing with him on Saturday Night Live. In November, Tina opened for the Rolling Stones during their 1981 American Tour. In 1982, Tina's song "Ball of Confusion" became popular in European dance clubs. She made a music video for it that played on MTV. This made her one of the first black American artists to be shown on the channel.
Global Superstardom
By 1983, Tina Turner was mostly performing at hotels and clubs. In 1983, she signed with Capitol Records. In November 1983, she released her cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". This song was a hit in Europe and reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Because of this song's success, Capitol Records decided to make a new album. Tina had only two weeks to record her Private Dancer album, which came out in May 1984. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in the UK. Private Dancer sold 10 million copies worldwide, becoming her most successful album. In May 1984, the song "What's Love Got to Do with It" was released. Tina then joined Lionel Richie as an opening act on his tour.
On September 1, 1984, Tina Turner had her first and only No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "What's Love Got to Do with It". The next songs, "Better Be Good to Me" and "Private Dancer", were also top 10 hits in the US. That same year, she sang a duet with David Bowie called "Tonight".
Tina's comeback reached its peak when she won three Grammys at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards. This included the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "What's Love Got to Do with It". In February 1985, she started her second world tour to support the Private Dancer album. She also sang on the "We Are the World" charity song.
Tina's success continued when she acted with Mel Gibson in the 1985 movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. She played Aunty Entity, the leader of Bartertown. People liked her performance. The movie was a global hit. Tina won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role. She recorded two songs for the film, "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" and "One of the Living". Both became hits, and "One of the Living" won her a Grammy. In July 1985, Tina performed at Live Aid with Mick Jagger. She also released a duet, "It's Only Love", with Bryan Adams.
In 1986, Tina released her sixth solo album, Break Every Rule. It reached No. 1 in four countries and sold over five million copies. The album included hits like "Typical Male" and "The Best". Before the album, Tina published her autobiography, I, Tina, which became a bestseller. That year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1987 was one of the highest-earning tours by a female artist. In January 1988, Tina performed for about 180,000 people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This set a Guinness World Record for the largest paying concert audience for a solo artist. In 1989, she released the Foreign Affair album. It reached No. 1 in eight countries, including the UK.
In 1990, Tina went on her Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour in Europe. Nearly four million people saw her perform, breaking a record for a European tour. In October 1990, Tina released her first greatest hits album, Simply the Best. It sold seven million copies worldwide.
In 1991, Ike & Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tina did not attend the ceremony. In 1993, the movie What's Love Got to Do with It was released. It starred Angela Bassett as Tina Turner. Tina contributed to the movie's soundtrack, re-recording old songs and adding new ones. The song "I Don't Wanna Fight" from the soundtrack was a top 10 hit. Tina then went on her What's Love? Tour.
In 1995, Tina recorded "GoldenEye" for the James Bond film GoldenEye. In 1996, she released the Wildest Dreams album and went on the "Wildest Dreams Tour". In 1999, she released "When the Heartache Is Over" from her last solo album, Twenty Four Seven. The Twenty Four Seven Tour in 2000 was the highest-earning tour of that year. At a concert in Switzerland in 2000, Tina announced she would retire after the tour.
Later Years and Legacy
In November 2004, Tina released All the Best, a collection of her songs. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2005. In December 2005, Tina was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.
Tina made a public appearance in February 2008 at the 50th Grammy Awards. She performed with Beyoncé. In October 2008, Tina started her first tour in almost ten years, the Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. This tour was very successful and became one of the best-selling tours ever. In 2009, Tina officially retired from performing.
In 2010, her 1989 hit, "The Best", returned to the UK singles chart. This made Tina the first female artist in UK chart history to have top 40 hits in six decades (1960s–2010s). In April 2013, Tina appeared on the cover of German Vogue magazine. At 73, she was the oldest person to be featured on the cover of Vogue.
In December 2016, Tina announced she was working on Tina, a musical about her life. The show opened in London in April 2018. Tina received the 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her second memoir, My Love Story, was released in October 2018. In 2020, she worked with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It". With this song, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven decades in the UK.
In 2020, Tina released her third book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. In 2021, Tina appeared in the documentary film Tina. In October 2021, Tina sold her music rights to BMG Rights Management. Later that month, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
Family Life
Tina Turner had two biological sons. Her oldest son, Raymond Craig, was born in 1958. Her younger son, Ronald "Ronnie" Renelle Turner, was born in 1960. She also adopted two of Ike Turner's children and raised them.
Her son Ronnie played bass guitar in a band. He also played for both of his parents' bands. Ronnie passed away in December 2022.
Where Tina Lived
Tina Turner lived at Château Algonquin in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Lake Zurich, starting in 1994. She had also owned homes in Cologne, London, and Los Angeles.
In 2013, Tina applied for Swiss citizenship. She said she would give up her U.S. citizenship. In April, she took a citizenship test that included German language and Swiss history. On April 22, 2013, she became a citizen of Switzerland and received a Swiss passport. She officially gave up her American citizenship in October 2013.
Health and Passing
In her 2018 memoir, My Love Story, Tina shared that she had faced several serious health issues. In 2013, she had a stroke and had to learn to walk again. In 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. She also had high blood pressure which affected her kidneys. She received a kidney transplant in April 2017.
Tina Turner passed away at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83. She had been ill for some time.
Musical Achievements and Awards
Tina Turner is often called "The Queen of Rock and Roll". She is known as one of the greatest singers ever. People admired her strong stage presence, powerful voice, and lasting career. She was also famous for her legs.
Daphne A. Brooks, a scholar, wrote that Tina Turner combined sound and movement at an important time in rock music. She was a leader in a music revolution that had often ignored the contributions of African American women. She also remade her career at an age when most musicians were slowing down.
Awards and Honors
Tina Turner once held a Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience for a solo performer (180,000 people in 1988).
In the UK, Tina was the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven decades. She had a total of 35 top 40 hits in the UK. She sold over 100 million records worldwide.
Tina Turner won a total of 12 Grammy Awards. She won eight competitive Grammy Awards. Three of her songs, "River Deep – Mountain High" (1999), "Proud Mary" (2003), and "What's Love Got to Do with It" (2012), are in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Tina was the only female artist to win a Grammy in the pop, rock, and R&B music categories. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Tina received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986. She also got a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1991. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Ike Turner in 1991.
In 2005, Tina Turner received the important Kennedy Center Honors. President George W. Bush praised her "natural skill, the energy and sensuality." Many artists performed tributes to her that night, including Melissa Etheridge, Queen Latifah, Beyoncé, and Al Green. Oprah Winfrey said, "We don't need another hero. We need more heroines like you, Tina. You make me proud to spell my name w-o-m-a-n."
In 2021, Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist by Angela Bassett. Other artists performed her songs to celebrate her.
Tina Turner also received these honors:
- 1967: She was the first black artist and first female on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
- 1993: World Music Awards gave Tina the Legend Award.
- 1993: Essence Awards honored Tina with the Living Legend Award.
- 1996: She received the Légion d'Honneur from France.
- 1999: VH1 ranked her No. 2 on their list of 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll.
- 2002: Tennessee State Route 19 between Brownsville and Nutbush was named "Tina Turner Highway".
- 2008: Rolling Stone ranked Tina No. 17 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
- 2010: Rolling Stone ranked Tina No. 63 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
- 2013: Tina covered Vogue Germany, becoming the oldest person (at 73) to cover Vogue magazine.
- 2014: Tina was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame.
- 2019: Tina was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
- 2020: Her album Private Dancer was added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
- 2021: Tina became a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
- 2021: She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bern for her music.
- 2022: Mattel released a Barbie doll that looked like Tina Turner.
Music Albums
- Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)
- Acid Queen (1975)
- Rough (1978)
- Love Explosion (1979)
- Private Dancer (1984)
- Break Every Rule (1986)
- Foreign Affair (1989)
- Wildest Dreams (1996)
- Twenty Four Seven (1999)
Concert Tours
- 1977: Tina Turner Tour
- 1978: Tina Turner '78 Tour
- 1979: Tina Turner Show '79 Tour (Wild Lady of Rock)
- 1981–83: Tina Turner Tour (Nice 'n' Rough)
- 1984: 1984 World Tour
- 1985: Private Dancer World Tour
- 1987–1988: Break Every Rule World Tour
- 1990: Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour
- 1993: What's Love? Tour
- 1996–97: Wildest Dreams Tour
- 2000: Twenty Four Seven Tour
- 2008–09: Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour
Opening Act for Other Artists
- 1981: The Rolling Stones American Tour 1981 (for the Rolling Stones)
- 1981: Worth Leavin' Home For Tour (for Rod Stewart)
- 1984: Can't Slow Down Tour (for Lionel Richie)
Movies and Documentaries
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
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| 1966 | The Big T.N.T. Show | Herself | |
| 1970 | It's Your Thing | Herself | Documentary |
| 1970 | Gimme Shelter | Herself | Documentary |
| 1971 | Soul to Soul | Herself | Documentary |
| 1971 | Taking Off | Herself | |
| 1975 | Tommy | The Acid Queen | |
| 1978 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Our Guests at Heartland | |
| 1985 | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | Aunty Entity | Won (1986) – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
| 1993 | What's Love Got to Do with it | Herself | Singing voice for Angela Bassett, also old footage |
| 1993 | Last Action Hero | The Mayor | |
| 2012 | Ike & Tina on the Road: 1971–72 | Herself | Documentary |
| 2021 | Tina | Herself | Documentary |
Books by Tina Turner
- I, Tina: My Life Story (1986)
- My Love Story: A Memoir (2018)
- Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good (2020)
- Tina Turner: That's My Life
Images for kids
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Tina Turner's signature
See also
In Spanish: Tina Turner para niños
