Legendary Singer Tina Turner Dead at 83

Tina Turner, the legendary singer known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," has died "after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland," a spokesperson confirmed to The Messenger. She was 83. 

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner," her official social media account added in a post on her Instagram. "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."

Born Anna Mae Bullock on Nov. 26, 1939, Turner began her professional musical career in the late 1950s after meeting ex-husband Ike Turner while performing with his band, Kings of Rhythm, in a St. Louis club. The couple wed in 1962. 

The singer went on to become the frontwoman of The Ike & Tina Turner Revue from 1960 to 1976. She and Ike later divorced in 1978 after years of physical and emotional abuse. 

“For a long time I felt like I was stuck, with no way out of the unhealthy situation I was in,” she told Harvard Business Review in 2021. "But then I had a series of encounters with different people who encouraged me … And once I could see myself clearly, I began to change, opening the way to confidence and courage. It took a few years, but finally I was able to stand up for my life and start anew.”

The "Proud Mary" singer staged what has been referred to as one of the greatest comebacks in pop music history in 1984 after her hit song, "What's Love Got to Do with It," hit No. 1 on the music charts in America. 

A 25-time Grammy Award nominee and 12-time recipient (as well as three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), Turner solidified her status as one of the most influential and respected artists in the industry. 

Ten years after splitting with her ex-husband, the singer began dating former music executive Erwin Bach. The pair were together for 27 years before tying the knot in July 2013.

​​"We grant each other freedom and space to be individuals at the same time we are a couple," she wrote in her book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. "Erwin, who is a force of nature in his own right, has never been the least bit intimidated by my career, my talents, or my fame. He shows me that true love doesn't require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other's lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together."

In recent years, her life and legacy was transformed into a stage musical titled Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which opened in London's West End in 2018 before transferring to Broadway the following year. Turner was closely involved in the project, developing a strong bond with Adrienne Warren, the actress who originated the role of Tina and won a Tony Award for her powerhouse performance.