Tina Turner

About Tina Turner

When critics call Tina Turner "The Queen of Rock n' Roll", they're not just being nice. The big T has lived through it all, and also given voice some of soul music's most legendary recordings. Live, the leggy rock diva belts out each tune like her life depended on it, making every Tina Turner concert a profoundly emotional experience. Tina's raw voice can jump from come-hither sultry to shattered and broken in the blink of an eye, and her songs tackle big themes like love and loss with universally accessible power. With over 180 million records sold, the global appeal of Tina Turner's music speaks for itself. Tina Turner was actually christened Anna Mae Bullock, and was born in the small town of Nutbush, Tennessee. Her father was a Baptist deacon but that didn't stop the poor family from falling on hard times, and he later abandoned Tina, her mother and her elder sister. The women moved to the capital city of St. Louis where young Tina met the already established rocker Ike Turner. In 1958, at the age of 18, Tina began appearing on Ike's popular musical variety show as a background vocalist. Stage gigs with Ike's Kings of Rhythm soul revue quickly followed and Tina Turner cut her first single, "A Fool In Love", when one of Ike's other singers failed to show up for a recording session. Tina Turner delivered a powerhouse performance and "A Fool In Love" was a surprise smash. Touring on the strength of the single, Ike and Tina Turner married in Mexico. Unfortunately, the relationship was not destined to be a happy one. As "Ike & Tina Turner", the duo recorded a string of legendary soul singles including "A Fool In Love", Creedence Clearwater's "Proud Mary" and the Phil Spector produced "River Deep, Mountain High." In the 1970's, Ike and Tina's marriage began to deteriorate rapidly as Ike became involved with drugs and drinking. Tina attempted a solo career that fizzled and eventually divorced Ike in 1978, after 16 years of marriage. Tina Turner struggled with her career until her stunning 1984 comeback album, Private Dancer. Smash singles included "What's Love Got to Do With It?", a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", "Better Be Good to Me" and the album's title track.