An unmistakable voice, unquestionable strength and an overwhelming presence on stage: Tina Turner has died at the age of 83 leaving behind a musical legacy that captivated the public for more than half a century and made her the undisputed queen of rock.

Tina Turner he had retired from the world of music in 2009at 70 years old, with a prolific career translated into more than 200 million records sold, 22 albums -12 studio, 3 live and 7 compilations- and 8 Grammy Awards.

Daughter of a foreman and a red Indian, the idyll with the music of Annie Mae Bullock -Turner’s real name- began early, at the age of six, with his first appearances in the church choir from the small town of Brownsville (Tennessee, USA).

However, the Bullocks’ entourage broke up just four years later, with the abandonment first of his mother and then of his fatheralthough she and her sister would find what she considered her true parents: the Hendersons, a white family in which she began to work doing household chores.

Music had a healing effect from the beginning for the artist, who at a very young age, at 17, fell in love with rock and blues singer Ike Turner, whom she would marry in 1962, five years after they met.

Soon, Ike Turner’s group lost their vocalist, so Tina had her chance. And soon the Ike Turner group began to include the name of Tina (Ike & Tina Turner Revue). Her professional affair lasted as long as their relationship lasted. They were years of tours in Europe and even Africa, hits like “A fool in love”, albums like “River Deep, Mountain high” (1966), “Proud Mary” (1970), “Blues Roots” (1972), “Nutbush City Limits”(1973) or “The Gospel According to Ike and Tina”(1974).

Likewise, stars like David Bowie, Sly Stone, Cher, Elvis Presley and Elton John attended the permanent show that the group had in Las Vegas and shared the stage with them. The marriage lasted until 1976. Years later the singer would accuse of abuse and mistreatment to Ike Turner in his autobiography “I, Tina: My Life Story” (1986).

He said that for 16 years with him suffered continuous abuse and aggression. A stormy relationship that became even more violent when the singer was under the influence of cocaine, to which he was addicted.

Even, came to contemplate the idea of ​​suicide but he found inner peace in Buddhism and decided to get divorced. After her divorce, the artist locked herself in her studio and two years later she released her album “Rough” (1978).

For a few years, the singer chose to keep a low profile and perform in small venues for small groups of audiences. She until in 1983 she lavished herself with a song recorded in Great Britain entitled “Let’s Stay Together”, a whole musical ‘boom’ that captivated the British and Americans and that spurred her career to make her an international star.

With her energetic voice, her dancing legs and her overwhelming stage presence, Tina was linking recordsbeginning the successful “Private Dance” (1984), which was followed by “Break Every Rule” (1986) and “Foreign Affair” (1989).

The decade of the nineties would be the one of its absolute consecrationwith tours all over the world and amazing duets with references from other genres such as Eros Ramazzotti or composing the main song for films like “Goldeneye” (1995), from the James Bond saga.

In fact, another of his great passions was to be in front of cameras on the big screendemonstrating his cinematographic skills in films spread over different decades, such as “Gimme Shelter” (1970), “Mad Max III” (1985) or “Last Action Hero” (1993).

The beginning of the 21st century it was a more spiritual stage for her and contemplative in which he even threatened to withdraw, but finally decided to maintain relative silence. Until 2008, when she reappeared in the media spotlight during the Grammy ceremony with an energetic live duet with Beyoncé. A year later, when she turned 70, she was officially retiring.

Since then, Tina Turner focused on her personal life, marrying in Switzerland -where he ended up being nationalized- in 2013, at the age of 73, with the German music producer Erwin Bach, 57, after twenty-seven years of relationship. She suffered health problems in the last decade, such as colon cancer in 2016 and she underwent a kidney transplant just a year later.

The adversities crowded for the queen of rock, who last year lost the youngest of his four children to cancer, Ronnie, 62 years old. Earlier, in 2018, he lost his firstborn, Craig Turner -whom he had with saxophonist Raymond Hill-, who committed suicide at the age of 59.

Tina Turner’s was an intense life, of a fireproof but also vulnerable woman who was the focus of attention throughout her career, as evidenced by “What’s love got to do with it”, the biographical film about her released in 1993, the documentary “Tina” from 2021 or the musical that is still open on Broadway stages.

Politicians and artists remember the queen of rock

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has celebrated the legacy of the singer and actress. “In addition to being a unique talent in a generation that forever changed American music, Tina’s personal strength was remarkable,” Biden said in a statement, stressing that the singer “built a career for posterity and a life and legacy all his own.”

Biden has taken a tour of the life of Tina Turner, recalling that the ‘queen of Rock and Roll’ “was the only woman to win -with twelve Grammy Awards- in the pop, rock and R&B categories, a sign of her versatility, creativity and broad appeal.”

“Millions of people attended his concerts, his dance performances (…) were legendary, and his iconic hits continue to be appreciated and sung at the top of their lungs by generations of fans,” he said, as can be read in a White House statement.

The president has indicated that he is sending, together with the first lady, Jill Biden, her “love and prayers” to the singer’s husbandErwin, and “to the rest of the Turner family and fans around the world who today mourn the woman who agreed she was ‘simply the best.’

Biden’s ‘number two’, Kamala Harris, has stressed that Turner’s strength, voice and signature moves inspired millions of people. “Tina Turner was a spectacular light whose life was a testament to all those who believe in what can be, without worrying about what has been“, Has expressed.

Former US President Barack Obama has also remembered the singer after her death, joining “fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll and a star whose light will never go out.” “Tina Turner was wild. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was herself without apologizing: she spoke and sang her truth through joy and pain, triumph and tragedy,” she said on her Twitter account.

However, the world of culture has said goodbye to Tina Turner, and The networks have been filled with messages of condolences and condolences for the farewell to the iconic figure of rock and roll, such as Elton John or Gloria Gaynor. For her part, the Coldplay group wanted to honor the singer by dedicating her concert in Barcelona. “This concert is dedicated to the beautiful Tina Turner”has expressed the vocalist and pianist Chris Martin before the 55,000 spectators after singing ‘The Scientist’ and before singing ‘Viva la vida’.