Tina Turner is one of the most successful female soul and rock singers of all time. Her songs are a staple in movies, television shows, and the CD cases of fans around the world.
Tina is now 81 years old and has suffered several forms of emotional and physical trauma. She’s overcome everything from an abusive, poverty-stricken childhood and soul-crushing first marriage to cancer and kidney failure.
The superstar found love with Erwin Bach and is now ready to step out of the spotlight. She’s using an upcoming HBO documentary to say goodbye to her adoring fans.
Like and subscribe to stay up to date on the careers of your favorite celebrities. Watch our video to learn more about the difficult life of Tina Turner and how she finally found peace.
Documenting Her Life
Fans clamor for as much information as possible about their favorite celebrities. Luckily for her fans, Tina Turner has documented her life several times.
The first one came in the form of her 1986 autobiography entitled I, Tina. It was her first attempt at a memoir. She has since written other books including one entitled My Life Story.
In 1993, the story of her life found its way to the big screen. The movie What’s Love Got to Do With It, named after one of her most famous songs, was released. It starred Angela Bassett and enjoyed a successful run.
In 2019, Tina found her story appearing in another form. A musical on Broadway about her life called The Tina Turner Story opened on Broadway. She attended the premiere with her husband Erwin as a way to say goodbye to her American fans.
An upcoming feature-length documentary called Tina will be released on HBO to reveal even more details about her life. It’s also meant to be a sendoff to help her say goodbye to fans from all over the world.
There are several aspects of Tina’s experience that no amount of memoirs, films, and musicals could cover. Even her most devoted fans may not know about her traumatic early experiences and health scares that lead her to retire after a long, successful career.
Tina Turner’s Road to Success
Tina Turner became a solo act in the 80s and enjoyed massive success. Her hits include River Deep Mountain High, Proud Mary, and more.
Throughout her career, she’s sold more than 100 million records, won 12 Grammys, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, became the first black artist and first female to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, and even appeared in Mel Gibson’s 1985 film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
Tina is now 81 years old and is working to gracefully step out of the limelight. She made her last album in 1999 at the age of 59 and gave her final public performance in 2009.
She recently returned to recording one last time to honor the 1984 hit What’s Love Got to Do With It, her only solo #1 hit in the US. Tina created a dance remix of the track with producer Kygo.
PTSD
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee. They grew up poor, picking cotton to make enough money to survive.
Abuse has always been present in her life. Her dad Floyd Bullock abused her mother Zelma. Tina was abandoned by both of them at a young age.
She eventually reunited with her mother, but the relationship remained strained. Tina tried to do everything she could to improve it, even buying her a house, but nothing ever seemed to be enough.
This family drama wasn’t the only thing that caused Tina emotional turmoil. Her marriage to Ike Turner in 1962 was one of the most traumatic periods in her life. She was so desperate to escape that in 1968, she took sleeping pills and almost overdosed.
The couple divorced in 1976. She asked for nothing in the court proceedings except for the right to keep her famous stage name.
Ike died of an accidental drug overdose in 2007. Tina says she forgives him and now realizes how ill he was while they were together.
Forgiveness has helped Tina move on, but the scars from these traumatic experiences remain. She suffers from PTSD and has recurring nightmares.
Craig’s Death
Another one of the many items Tina Turner can add to her list of accomplishments is the role of mother. She had a son with Ike named Ronnie, adopted his two children Ike Jr. and Michael, and had a son of her own named Craig from a previous relationship.
Craig committed suicide in LA in 2018 at the age of 59. He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Tina had Craig’s ashes spread on the California coast. She admits that it was the worst moment in her life as a mother and that he will “always be my baby.”
Body Image Issues
Tina Turner is one celebrity that seems to radiate confidence, with her boisterous performances and bold style choices. Despite these appearances, she suffers from self-doubt and body image issues and continues to fight them every day.
She developed a negative perception of herself at a young age, a feeling that may have begun thanks to early childhood abuse. She even felt uncomfortable with her famously long legs.
This was another struggle that Tina eventually overcame. She realized that she must focus on how she feels about herself. She fights negative thoughts by replacing them with positive ones.
Tina also knew that her opinion of herself has a major impact on how others view her. Working on her own self-confidence only made her more accepted and adored by fans.
Personal reflection was the only antidote to Tina Turner’s negative thoughts. Fame was no help because she doubted anyone would love her once they saw her without the wigs and shiny outfits. She continued to struggle with this feeling until true love finally entered her life.
Like and subscribe to learn more about your favorite celebrities before they officially say goodbye. Keep watching to learn who brought the love Tina desperately needed into her life and how he helped her overcome severe health issues.
Tina and Erwin
Superstar Tina Turner and German record producer Erwin Bach met in Europe in 1985. This was about 10 years after she ended her abusive relationship with Ike.
She had been hesitant to date anyone but felt something immediately and didn’t want to lose him. They met up again in America and quickly began a relationship.
Some of this reluctance continued even after the couple got more comfortable with each other. Tina turns down Erwin’s first proposal, but they marry in 2013 after almost 26 years of being together.
They shared a home in Germany in the 90s but eventually moved to Switzerland for his job. This home is now the place where they now spend most of their time.
The couple is 16 years apart in age. She was 46 and he was 30 when they met. The attraction was immediate, and he admits they “still have that spark.”
Stroke
3 weeks after marrying Erwin, Tina Turner suffered a massive stroke. It kept her from standing or walking on her own for some time.
Tina notes that resilience and determination have always been her best assets and that the secret to maintaining the right mindset is to never complain.
The superstar showed off her determination after her stroke. When she first arrived at the hospital, she failed to accept the fact that she could be paralyzed. She tried to walk on her own but fell.
Eventually, Tina was able to retrain her right arm and leg to move properly. She says that the incident didn’t leave her depressed because she was too determined to fix it.
Cancer
Health problems tend to compound each other, with one condition causing another. This was certainly the case for Tina Turner.
She received an intestinal cancer diagnosis in 2016. It spread so severely that it led to total kidney failure.
Kidney Transplant
Tina admits that her medical issues put her in a place where she was surviving but not living. She became so sick that she considered assisted suicide. The process is legal in Switzerland where she and Erwin now live as legal citizens.
Tina’s husband has always been a positive force in her life, providing healing energy and helping her through all forms of personal and medical trauma. Eventually, he took this one step further.
In April of 2017, Erwin volunteered to donate a kidney to his beloved wife. It was a risky process due to the couple’s age but turned out to be a success.
Tina’s health has improved since the transplant, but it did cause unpleasant symptoms such as dizziness, forgetfulness, anxiety, and diarrhea.
Her Life Today
Tina Turner admits that she’s proud of the legacy she’s made and the impact it’s had on her fans. Still, she knows it can’t last forever and wants to make the transition into a “normal” life go as smoothly as possible.
Tina lives with her husband Erwin in Switzerland on the edge of Lake Zurich. The upcoming HBO documentary will provide a deeper glimpse into their home and daily routine.
The couple is happy together and remains deeply in love. This idyllic new lifestyle seems like a fairytale ending to Tina Turner’s difficult road to becoming a music icon. She’s had the chance to say goodbye to her fans and can now rest and recover with the love of her life.
Do you think Tina Turner will stay out of the recording studio or come back for at least one more song? Leave your answer in the comments below and subscribe for more celebrity updates.
