It’s a sign of how much Tina Turner was loved that so many people are shocked and saddened by the news of her death.
And no wonder. We have lost an icon, a legend and quite frankly the best pair of legs in the music industry.
Tina Turner was one of the best selling recording artists of all time, and her appeal spanned generations.
This is a woman who chalked up hits like We Don’t Need Another Hero, Private Dancer, and The Best, decades after River Deep, Mountain High shot her to stardom in the heyday of Motown.
She had that distinctive voice, but she also had a presence all her own. And that’s why there’s no doubt that her music will live on.
Tina Turner had to work for her success. She was raised by her grandparents after her mother fled an abusive relationship, and was still going by the name Ann Mae Bullock when she saw Ike Turner perform in a nightclub and asked him to let her sing with him.
The pair went on to marry and had huge success in the 1960s.
But Turner was also an abuser and Tina filed for divorce in 1976, before going on to achieve even greater things as a solo artist.
She was always very open about her upbringing. Maybe that’s another reason why so many people took her to their hearts.
And then there’s the music.
Tina Turner: Simply the best
Tina Turner’s back catalogue was filled with bangers, but she always seemed to move with the times.
She was 60 when she released When The Heartache Is Over.
But it’s probably The Best (or Simply The Best if you’re belting it out at karaoke) that will stand the test of time.
Rangers have adopted it as their anthem, of course. But it was also my papa’s song, and when he died, we played it at his funeral.
For me, Tina Turner brings back memories of my mum. She was always on the radio when I was growing up and we still play her songs on Pure Radio all the time.
And now when I’m DJing at events, I know if I put on a Tina Turner song I’m going to get a reaction.
You see it, from the first notes of Proud Mary. There’s excitement in everyone’s eyes. That trip to the loo will just have to wait. Drinks go down, pals get dragged up and the place goes absolutely wild.
Not that anyone will ever move across a dancefloor the way Tina Turner could.
With the hair, the heels, the legs, the voice, the moves, she was an icon. A role model, with passion and drive and talent to spare, who took a difficult early start and turned her life around.
What a woman, what a chanter, what a star.
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