A world-famous celebrity, she is called the queen of rock and roll and one of the best dancers in the history of show business. Sincere and artistic, with extraordinary charisma and sensuality, Tina has repeatedly won prestigious music awards and has a huge army of admirers of her talent. Tina Turner's personal life was not easy; only in her later years did she find peace and family happiness. The woman was married several times and raised both her own and adopted children. Today's article talks about Tina Turner's parents, husbands and her heirs.
Tina Turner's childhood and family
The future celebrity was born at the end of November 1939 in Tennessee, USA. The parents named their youngest daughter Anna May, and their eldest daughter, Ruby, was also growing up. The baby's father worked at a factory and was engaged in agriculture. The life of Tina Turner's family was closely connected with religion, namely with the Baptist community. After her parents' divorce, the girl was raised by her grandmother.
Tina with her husband Ike
Even as a child, she felt a craving for music; Anna especially liked jazz and blues. Thanks to her older sister, the girl was given the opportunity to perform in clubs and bars as part of Ike Turner's group.
The young musician became Tina Turner's first husband and the main figure in the creative biography of our heroine.
He helped Anna May start her career in show business and came up with her stage name, under which the whole world later recognized her.
“It wasn’t a good life”: 81-year-old Tina Turner announced her retirement
The singer took part in the filming of a documentary biographical film about herself for the HBO channel.
Legendary actress and singer Tina Turner said goodbye to fans in a documentary about herself and announced her retirement. The Daily Mail writes about this.
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The HBO film will air on March 27. In the tape, the 81-year-old “queen of rock and roll” stated that she wants to spend the last years of her life away from the public and cameras. In addition, the winner of eight Grammy awards admitted that she still suffers from post-traumatic disorder due to domestic violence, which she suffered in her marriage to her first husband, musician Ike Turner.
In her autobiographical book, Tina said that her husband beat her, extinguished her cigarettes on her, and after all this forced her to go on stage. And when she fell ill with hepatitis, he secretly took her out of the hospital so that the singer would not miss the concert and would have time to perform. In addition, he cheated on her and even equipped a special meeting room in their house, where Tina did not have access.
Tina Turner with her first husband Ike Turner/Photo: screenshot
Remarkably, in his 1999 book, Ike described how he beat his wife, but with the wording “I sometimes knocked her down, but I never beat her ... beat her no harder than any other man beats his wife.”
The pop star suffered a stroke in 2013 and was diagnosed with bowel cancer three years later. Due to side effects, the singer resorted to homeopathic remedies, but this only worsened her condition. Turner soon developed kidney failure. In the spring of 2021, she received a kidney transplant, which was donated to her by her second husband, producer Erwin Bach. In 2021, the singer's son, 59-year-old Craig, committed suicide. He worked as a real estate agent in the San Fernando Valley.
Tina Turner in 2021
“It wasn't a good life. The good does not balance out the bad. I have had a life of violence, there is no other way to tell this story. This is reality. This is true. This is what you have, so you have to accept it,” Tina Turner said in the documentary.
Tina Turner (Anna Mae Bullock) was born on November 26, 1939 in Nutbush, Tennessee into a family of factory workers. The singer gained popularity after a duet with Kings of Rhythm leader Ike Turner, whom she married in 1962. As Tina herself later said, under duress. She was too afraid of her husband to refuse him.
Tina Turner at the beginning of her career/Photo: screenshot
Ike came up with a stage name for her and changed the name of his group to Ike & Tina Turner Revue. However, the musician began to use drugs and beat his wife. In 1976, Tina ran away from her husband just before an Independence Day concert in Dallas and hid with friends for some time before flying to Los Angeles. The last straw was that Ike beat her right in the limousine that was taking them to the hotel. In 1978, the divorce proceedings were finally finalized, with Tina accepting responsibility for debts and taxes due to a canceled concert tour.
Her second husband was German music producer Erwin Bach. Since 2013, Tina Turner has been a Swiss citizen and lives in the city of Kusnacht.
Wedding of Tina Turner and Erwin Bach
In 1967, Tina Turner became the first black woman to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
In 1993, a film was made about the singer’s life called “What Love Can Do.” Angela Bassett, who played Tina, and Laurence Fishburne, who played Ike Turner, received Best Actress and Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards. The soundtrack for the film was recorded by Tina Turner herself. In the US it was certified platinum.
In 1995, Tina recorded the soundtrack for the Bond film GoldenEye.
Tina Turner's personal life: the singer's husbands
Before her stormy romance with Ike Turner, temperamental Tina started a relationship with one of the musicians of his band named Raymond. From him the girl had a son, Craig. The couple spent about two years together, and then Tina married Ike Turner. Soon they had a child together - a son, Ronald. In addition, the family raised Ike’s two eldest sons from a previous relationship, the care of which fell entirely on Tina’s shoulders. The woman supported her beloved husband in everything, not yet knowing that their family idyll would soon be destroyed.
Maternal responsibilities did not prevent the singer from building a dizzying career in show business - her unique talent attracted more and more public attention, and the atmosphere at Tina’s concerts left few people indifferent.
Tina Turner on stage
She had not only a marital relationship with Ike Turner, but also a working relationship - he was the manager of their joint musical project and led the affairs of the creative team with a firm hand.
Ike treated his wife no less harshly - Tina admitted more than once that she had suffered beatings and bullying for years.
The situation in the family was aggravated by Tina Turner's husband's addiction to illegal substances, which is why he was often in an inadequate state. The couple’s business interests also suffered from this - tours and concerts were increasingly cancelled, album sales were declining, and contacts were becoming fewer and fewer. Troubles caused new attacks of aggression in Ike, and soon Tina ran away from him practically penniless.
Tina Turner in her youth
For some time, the frightened woman hid in the houses of her friends. She was under extreme stress, and the artist’s financial situation left much to be desired.
In search of peace of mind, Tina converted to Buddhism, thanks to which she calmed down a little and decided to start a solo career.
At the same time, the singer initiated divorce proceedings with her tyrant husband, which ended in 1978.
She later recalled that all 16 years of marriage with Ike Turner were a real hell for her, full of violence and humiliation.
They never communicated again, Tina did not even comment on the news of Ike’s death in 2007. The woman did not change her stage name, which was invented by her ex-husband and brought her first popularity.
Tina with her second husband at one of the events
Freed from the shackles of an unhappy marriage, Tina hired a new manager and continued her brilliant path to fame.
She recorded music albums, starred in films, toured a lot, and also wrote an autobiography, which was a great success among her fans.
Tina has won prestigious awards many times for her contribution to art, was noted in the Guinness Book of Records, and often appeared on television talk shows.
Tina with her husband Edwin
After some time, the star got married again. Her chosen one was music producer from Germany Erwin Bach. The husband is 16 years younger than his wife, but this does not prevent the couple from still staying together.
Meeting with Erwin Bach
In 1986, love came to the singer again. Her chosen one was Erwin Bach, director of the EMI record company. In her autobiography, Tina Turner honestly describes how straightforward she was then with this young German man, who was 16 years younger than her.
“I saw Erwin at one of the events organized by EMI. We sat next to each other. I became so bold that in a nervous whisper I asked him a question: “Erwin, when you come to America, I want us to make love.” He slowly turned his head and looked at me, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. And I couldn’t believe that I even decided to say that! Erwin later told me that no woman had ever made such a proposal to him. His first thought was, "Wow, these California girls are really crazy." But I wasn't crazy. I've never allowed myself this before. Erwin ended up coming to Los Angeles on business and we met. This is how our real romance began.”
They are still together, although Tina and Erwin officially got married only in 2013. He again inspired the singer to believe in herself and in love after her toxic relationship with her first husband.
“I survived a hellish marriage that almost destroyed me, but I survived,” Tina Turner wrote in the book.
Tina Turner's children
Tina Turner's eldest son, Raymond Craig, was born when she was only 18 years old. He was later adopted by Ike Turner. Craig was involved in real estate sales in the state of California.
Tina with her son Craig
Tina Turner's second child, son Ronald, was born in her marriage to Ike. It is known that he dreamed of becoming an actor, but only starred in one film. The woman also raised two children of her first husband from another marriage - Ike and Michael. The star's adopted sons became musicians.
Cause of death of Tina Turner's son
In 2021, the life of the singer’s eldest son, Raymond Craig, was cut short by suicide. The causes of the tragedy have not been fully clarified. It is known that Craig was a very emotional and impressionable person, worried about his mother and maintained a warm relationship with her.
Tina Turner's eldest son
Tina could not cope with grief for a long time; only a year later she commented on what had happened. According to the woman, Craig suffered from loneliness, which forced him to commit the fatal act.
Tina Turner currently
The celebrity is now 80 years old and will turn 81 in November 2021.
In 2009, the singer practically stopped performing and retired. She lives in Switzerland, not far from Zurich, quite quietly and secluded. She preferred a quieter Europe to noisy America.
Tina’s health leaves much to be desired - she suffered a stroke and was undergoing treatment for another serious illness. Next to her is her husband Erwin, who sacrificed a lot for his wife’s health.
Tina on stage
In 2021, a musical was created based on her autobiographical book. Its premiere took place in the capital of Great Britain. Tina took an active part in the preparation of the project, helping to select actors for the main roles and musical compositions for the performance.
Tina Turner - singer who glorified the name of her husband who ruined her life
When Anna Bullock was 10 years old, her mother left the family and went to St. Louis. “I have never been in so much pain,” the newspaper “I” quotes Tina Turner’s memoirs, “I cried and cried, and it seemed like it would never stop. However, tears did not help. This was the first serious lesson for me that tears never help in trouble.”
Three years later, their father left them and his sister and moved to Detroit. “I just couldn’t believe it,” the singer recalls. “First my mother abandoned me, and now, when I was only 13 years old, my father abandoned me too!”
For some time, Anna Bullock lived with relatives, but, she said, if anyone took care of her, it was Ellen, her older sister. Later she too went to her mother in St. Louis. In the fall of 1956, Anna followed her.
How I became Tina Turner
On Anna’s 17th birthday, her older sister took her to a club where the Kings of Rhythm band was playing that evening (“Kings of RII didn’t think you could really sing.” Anna Bullock joined the Kings of Rhythm band as a backing vocalist.
She began an affair with the band's saxophonist Raymond Hill. Soon Anna had a son, but the relationship with the musician ended. Nevertheless, the young singer’s personal life did not stand still: in 1958, she began dating the group’s leader, Ike Turner.
In 1960, Anna “made it out” as a backing vocalist, but not at all thanks to her relationship with Ike. One day, the musicians were supposed to record a song, but the vocalist was absent at that time, and Anna sang for him, according to the Hard Rock Cafe website. The song A Fool In Love became a rhythm and blues hit and entered the top thirty of the American charts. After this, Ike changed the name of his project to Ike and Tina Turner Revue, and Anna received the stage name Tina Turner.
16 years and 36 cents
In 1962, the couple got married, and a year earlier the Turners had a child together. So at 22, Tina Turner became the mother of four children: a son from a saxophonist, a common son with Ike, and his two children from previous relationships.
In the 60s and early 70s, the duet of Ike and Tina was quite popular. They were called "the black Sonny and Cher." Among their songs were real hits - It's Gonna Work Out Fine, I Idolize You, Nutbush City Limits, River Deep - Mountain High, etc. The song Proud Mary, which earned a Grammy award, was especially popular. In total, the duo recorded more than 20 albums, many songs were popular not only in the USA, but also in Europe.
The Ike and Tina Turner Revue actively gave concerts, performed on the same stage with the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Sly Stone, Ray Charles, James Brown, Elton John, Elvis Presley and other stars. In 1975, Tina made her film debut, starring in the film adaptation of the rock opera Tommy.
But in the couple’s personal life, everything was much less successful. Ike Turner became increasingly addicted to drugs, and, as the singer later stated, beat her. The musician himself denied these accusations. Tina Turner even tried to commit suicide, and in 1975, after 16 years of marriage, she made up her mind and left her husband with 36 cents in her pocket.
Divorce and husband's last name
Buddhism, which the singer met back in 1974, helped her gather strength and leave her husband. And later, when Tina Turner was asked why she didn’t leave Ike earlier, she answered: “I didn’t know anything or anyone else then. But I really wanted to sing,” the Zvezda.ru website quotes her as saying.
For six months, the singer hid with friends from Ike, who tried to get her back: blackmailed her, threatened to sue for all the money, rights to recordings, and children. Tina agreed to all his conditions. All she had left after her divorce in 1976 was her name and the right to occasionally see her sons, reports OK! magazine.
According to Women's Passion magazine, at the trial, 37-year-old Tina Turner told her husband: “You're taking everything I've earned in sixteen years. And I’m taking my future.”
At first
She was 37 years old, she didn’t have a penny to her name, and no one believed in the success of her solo career. For a long time, things were not going well; her first records were not in demand. Only in 1983 they started talking about her as a solo performer.
In the early '80s, Turner recorded covers of the Temptations (Ball of Confusion) and Al Green (Let's Stay Together). The second single became a real hit on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1984, the album Private Dancer was released, which brought the singer high chart positions, multi-platinum sales and several Grammy awards.
In the mid-1980s, Turner starred in the film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and performed on its soundtrack, We Don't Need Another Hero, which became another breakthrough. The following year she performed as a duet with Mikkom Jaegerrom at Live Aid, giving her fans the masterpiece We Are The World. Then - several more albums and full houses at concerts.
In 1995, a new James Bond film, GoldenEye, was released, and Tina Turner unexpectedly performed the soundtrack. At the end of October 1999, a month before the singer's 60th birthday, her song When The Heartache Is Over took first place in the UK chart, according to the People's History website. And Tina Turner's CDs are still selling out faster in Europe than in her native America.
Age is not a barrier
Tina Turner has long ceased to be “Ike Turner’s wife” for everyone; from a star of the 60s, she turned into a star of the 80s and a legend of the 20th century.
“I learned to be happy regardless of men,” she says. - This happens quite rarely in life. My success made me happy. I don’t really believe that any man could make me happy.”
Now she lives in Europe, in Switzerland. She is not alone; next to her is the head of the EMI recording studio branch, Erwin Bach. “He is the first man after Ike,” the singer says about him. - Of course, I had several boyfriends, but nothing more than boyfriends. Despite the fact that Erwin is a foreigner to me, and also younger, we understand each other perfectly, we feel good together, although, most likely, we will never get married. It’s just that Erwin is the man I love.”
As for Ike Turner, both albums released by his group after his divorce from Tina did not have the same success. In the late 1980s, he was arrested for drug possession and remained in prison almost until the end of his life. The 76-year-old musician died in December 2007 from a drug overdose.
None of Tina Turner's children achieved significant success or fame. When her eldest son turned 50, the singer said: “... I believe that everything will work out for them: age is not a hindrance - who, if not me, should know about this.”
The material was prepared by the editors of rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
