#99 - Tina Turner: her life, career, and impact

Thanks for tuning in!  It's been a minute since I released an episode, but I am so excited to be back!  It's crazy how much I missed talking about nostalgia and my sister :)

In this episode, we are taking a look back on the life and career of none other than Tina Turner, one of the most iconic and successful performers in a generation. 

If you love this show, then you'll also love the 80s and 90s Uncensored Podcast.  You can find the show and a ton of other great content here:  https://the80sand90s.com/podcast

Transcript

A common term we hear a lot nowadays is “Core memory.”  But what exactly is a core memory?  According to Peachy Counseling core memories are “referring to a specific set of memories that hold more emotional value. Some examples of core memories might be your wedding day, graduation, loss of a loved one, first kiss, or even a car accident.”  For me, one of my core memories, which I know I have talked a lot about on the show is my parents and the music they used to play for me and my sister.  One artist in particular stands out to me as I truly feel I was raised on her music, Tina Turner.  From the moment I heard the album Private Dancer as a young child, I was instantly a fan and said fandom has lasted my entire life. When she passed away last year, I felt a little bit of a lump in my throat.  An icon from my childhood, someone I associate with my mom, my sister, growing up near Chicago and seeing her perform, was gone forever.  Many well known musicians and entertainers weighed in after her passing.  Questlove for example said:  “long live the queen.”  Angela Bassett, who played Turner in the 1993 biographical film "What's Love Got To Do With It," said : "Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like.” Noted songwriter Diana Warren said:  “A Survivor and a Badass. Every note she sang shook the room and shook your soul. There will never be another like her. Shake the roof off of Heaven Tina Turner.”  

Given that Tina Turner’s music was such a huge part of my growing up, it seemed only appropriate to devote an entire show to her life and career.  I can’t imagine returning to my beloved podcast by covering any other subject.  So sit back and relax and enjoy this look back at one of the greatest performers of all time.

Thank you so very much for tuning in to the Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast. This show is dedicated to the memory of my big sister Rebecca, a fan of all things pop-culture, particularly of the people, places, and things that defined the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.  Welcome aboard this pop culture time machine, I'm Amy Lewis. This is episode #99, Tina mother Turner.

Anna Marie Bullock (who we will refer to as TT for most of this episode) was born on November 26, 1939 in Brownsville, TN.  She was born into a family of share croppers and was raised as a baptist. Her parent's names were Zelma Priscilla and Floyd Richard Bullock. As a child, she would sing and recite movie lines to entertain her family.  I couldn't find a ton of information about her parents, but I did learn that Turner's father was allegedly abusive and her mother left him when she was 11 years old.  Tina went on to live with her grandmother for a few years.  When she was 16 years old, she moved to St. Louis to be with her mother and sister Alline after her grandmother passed away.  

She started singing when she was a teenager.  She also worked as a Nurse's Assistant during her teenage years and she also worked with children, too.  She was considering pursuing nursing or education as her career.  

Because Tina had moved to St. Louis earlier, she also decided she wanted to be a part of the rhythm and blues scene.  Her sister would take her to nightclubs around the city including Club Imperial. My sister too took me out to nightclubs periodically.  When I came out she took me to my first gay bar which I later learned was shut down due a shooting, but it was fun at the time.  While performing with his band "The Kings of Rhythm", she met Ike Turner and eventually became part of their act. Tina stole the show with her charisma and showmanship.  Eventually, the band name changed to the Ike and Tina Turner revue. 

Anna Marie started using Tina Turner as her stage name when she was 20 years old.  Apparently the name Tina was the brain child of Ike who was inspired by the television character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.  

In 1960, "Fool in Love" became a top hit for the band.  They became more and more popular and started playing larger venues like the Apollo theatre and later made television appearances. 

Ike & Tina Turner Revue "Proud Mary" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Ike and Turner were Married in 1962 in Tijuana, Mexico.  Ike had 2 sons from previous relationships, named Ike Jr and Michael.  Turner already had a son named Craig, born in 1958, from a previous relationship she had with the saxophone player from the Kings of Rythm.  She and Ike would have a child together, Ronny in 1960.

In 1966, the duo was asked to be the opener for the Rollingstones.  

As the group became more and more popular, Ike became less and less faithful to Tina. He was having affairs left and right.  Tina started to refuse performing his songs and traveling with him due to the infidelities.  He wasn’t having it though, he allegedly beat her with a shoe stretcher when she stood up to him, like the time she was hesitant to rename the band the Ike and Tina Turner revue as she wasn’t sure she wanted to stay with him.  Tina felt bad for Ike at time though, showing just how much he had manipulated her throughout their relationship.  

In 1968, Turner allegedly attempted suicide after taking 50 pills of valium.  She had endured years of abuse at the hands on Ike and she couldn't take it anymore. She had tried multiple times to leave him. Allegedly, Ike abused her for most of their marriage.  She commented in later years that she felt terrible that their 4 children were constantly having to listen to their endless fighting.  He was extremely controlling of the band. He served as the manager and controlled all of their contracts and performances. Ike was so controlling that many supporting musicians and backup dancers changed frequently, they just couldn’t deal with him and vise-versa. Ike’s refusal to have outside management derailed the group’s success and growth.  He did this all while struggling with a significant substance abuse disorder, one that he wasted an incredible amount of money on.  Substance abuse, and other contributing factors led to Ike Turner’s passing in 2007.  His death was ruled an overdose via cocaine and other health issues.  I didn’t spend a ton of time researching Ike Turner specfically but he had a horrible childhood which certainly doesn’t excuse his behavior as an adult, but he had a horrible upbringing and was allegedly diagnosed with bi-polar disorder at one point. 

In 1969, Tina was nominated for a Grammy for her contributions to the Ike and Tina Turner revue song called "The Hunter."  

1971 the record Proud Mary won a grammy for best R & B performance.  The song Proud Mary was a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival version and it went to #4 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Ike & Tina Turner - Proud Mary (1971) | LIVE

In 1973, Tina Turner wrote her first original song entitled "Nut Bush City Limits" which was a nod to where she grew up as a young child, specifically in a place called Poindexter Farm.  It was a popular hit, and her final contribution as a part of the Ike and Tina Turner revue.  

In 1976, Tina Turner finally found the strength to leave Ike.  She left with just 37 cents to her name and a Mobil gas card.  He thought she would come crawling back to him, but she never did.  She slept on the floor her first night away from him.  She wanted nothing from him other than the rights to keep her stage name.  By 1977 they were divorced.  Ike retained most of the couple’s assets after the divorce with one exception - Tina Turner got to keep her stage name.

Turner found a lot of hope and healing from abuse through her Buddhism practice.  She did not turn to substances like her ex-husband to cope.  In fact, she incorporated her Buddhism into preparation for her shows.  She would chant beforehand for about an hour and would visualize the audience and trying to inspire them.  Probably to be simply the best.  Turner left the spotlight for several years following her divorce from Ike. She performed in cabaret acts and signed with her own manager in 1979. She had to travel on the road for 8 years to pay off her debts and the IRS.  Apparently, racism played a significant role in Tina’s inability to get a record deal for several years after her divorce.

In 1983 Turner records a cover of Let's Stay Together at Abby Road Studios.  This becomes a huge hit and ends up on her 1984 smash, Private Dancer.  Because the song was such a big hit, capital records offered her a record deal.  She then lands on the cover of Rolling Stone. Private Dancer was released when Turner was 44 years old.  This was her 5th studio album. She had just 2 weeks to record the album. The album sold 20 million copies worldwide and won 3 grammys including record of the year.  Even though she had the flu, she performed “What’s Love Got to Do With It” at the Grammys.  Other notable and excellent songs on the album include:  Show Some Respect, 1984, Might Have Been Queen, Steel Claw and more.  Private Dancer is one of those albums that can be listened to from start to finish. Every song is unique and executed perfectly.  Private Dancer is a masterpiece.  Many people say this album was sort of like a divorce anthem and I couldn’t agree more.  If you take a close listen to the lyrics in many of the songs, you will know this sentiment is accurate.  Take the song “I Might Have Been Queen.”  Toward the end of the song, Turner sings:

I look up to the stars with my perfect memory

I lived through it all, and my future's no shock to me

I look down, but I see no tragedy

I look up to the stars 'til I find my destiny

I look up to my past, my spirit running free

I look down, I look down, and I'm there in history

Oh, I'm a soul survivor

Tina Turner - I might have been queen - Birmingham - 1985

With the release of Private Dancer, Tina Turner became a household name in our home.  I can remember dancing to the cassette tape in the living room of our first house.  That burnt sienna carpet and navy blue couch provided an excellent stage for my dancing and singing performances.  I will never forget dancing to Tina Turner with my mom and sometimes my sister.  It’s funny when you look back at your childhood with a sense of nostalgia and also horror when you remember signing out loud “I’m your private dancer, a dancer for money, do what you want me to do.  Just a private dancer, a dancer for money, any old music will do.”  It didn’t matter though because my mom and I were clearly naive to the lyrics and Tina Turner was such an iconic symbol of strengh and perseverance that it didn’t phase us one bit that she was singing about being a stripper of sorts.  Plus, when we got to watch her concerts on TV, we always laughed when my mom commented that her saxophone player looked like he was recently released from prison.  Mom impression here.

In 1985, Turner is nominated for a Grammy for "What's Love Got to do With It."  The next year she gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and releases “Break Every Rule.”  This album featured hit songs like “Typical Male,” “What you get is what you see,” and “Back Where you Started.”  Outside of music, Tina finds love with a German music executive named Erwin Bach.  They would eventually move to Switzerland and got married in 2013.

In 1988 Tina appeared before 180,000 people in Rio de Janero which was a record for a solo artist at the time.

TINA TURNER LIVE AT RIO DE JANEIRO (1988) (about 2 minutes in)

“Simply the Best,” one of the greatest TT songs of all time was featured on her 1989 album “Foreign Affair.”

In 1993, the film "What's Love Got to do With it" is released in theatres.  It is based off of her autobiography, I, Tina which came out in 1986.  And despite the fact that I have always been such a big fan of TT, I have never been able to watch the film.  I just can’t handle the thought of watching what she went through.  Plus I am a big baby.  Have you noticed that I’ve never discussed any scary movies on this show?

1993 What's Love Got to Do with It Offcial Trailer 1 Touchstone Pictures

Turner wasn’t just a musician, she was also an accomplished actress.  In 1975 she starred in Acid Queen, in 1985 she starred in the infamous Mad Max and the Thunderdome.  You may remember her musical contributions to the film including “One of the Living” and one of my all-time favorite TT songs, “We Don’t Need Another Hero.”  Finally, in 1993, she starred in Last Action Hero.

In 1996, Turner released her 9th studio album, Wildest Dreams.  This song features songs such as the theme to the latest James Bond movie at the time, Golden Eye, Whatever you Want and her infamous and sultry duo with Barry White, Wildest Dreams.  Taking inspiration from this album and Tina Turner herself, Oprah had a Wildest Dreams tour and bus if I remember correctly.  She drove around the country fulfilling viewers dreams and Winfrey ended up performing with Tina as well! After Turner passed Oprah said about it quote:  “I had the chance to join Tina onstage during her “Wildest Dreams” tour and felt a glimpse of her enchanted world. I was so nervous that my knees were actually knocking together. Dancing onstage with her in Los Angeles was the most fun I ever remember having stepping out of my box. Tina lived out of the box and encouraged me and every woman to do the same.”

Twenty Four Seven came out in 1999, after it’s release, Turner announced she would be retiring from music and touring.  However, she would later come out of retirement temporarily in 2013 to honor her incredible 50 years in music.

The 24/7 kicked off in 2000 and sold more than $100 million in ticket sales and earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for more tickets sold than any other solo performer in history. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Ike! I was lucky enough to attend a concert during the 24/7 tour with my mom; to this day, it is one of the best concerts I have ever attended.  She played at the United Center (not sure if it’s still called that) which is where the Chicago Bulls play.  I’ll never forget how the cameras kept panning around all of the audience members and I noticed that Oprah, Gayle, and Dr. Phil were all in the front row.  My mom sent me a photo of our ticket stubs after Tina passed…we saw her perform on Wednesday, October 4, 2000 at 7:30pm.  I was 17 years old.  In the almost 25 years since, this show still stands out as being superb and Turner was 61 years old when I saw her.  She did not skip a beat, even with the dancers who were easily 40 years younger than her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z16H2dBjavg&list=PLraI1-7aSOlh06UnQihOeIMIPR62D_QGa 

Twenty Four Seven would sadly be the last studio album recorded by Tina Turner.

After her retirement from music, Turner spent a lot of time focused on her buddhism practice, gaining her Swiss citizenship, and developing a documentary film about her life.

In 2016, the development of Tina, the Musical, was announced and in 2018 it opened.  

In 2018, Turner’s son, Craig, died by suicide.  She commented in interviews that she isn’t quite sure what pushed him to the edge, but she noted that perhaps his loneliness finally got the best of him.  Just 4 years later, the son she had with Ike, Ronnie, died of Colon Cancer.

In 2021 Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On May 24, 2023, the world lost one of the greatest female performers of all time.  In 2016 she had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer and that coupled with some other medical complications led to her passing at the age of 83.

In her lifetime, Turner sold over 180 million copies of her records.  She received 12 grammys and a grammy lifetime achievement.  Further, she received 3 Grammy Hall of Fame inductions.  She was also the first black artist and woman to be on the cover of Rollingstone.  The publication also named her one of the 100 greatest artists of all time.  She was inducted into the the Rock and Roll hall of fame twice - once as a part of the duo with Ike and also for her solo contribution to music.  She was also one the first black artists to appear in consistent rotation on MTV.  And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.  And remember, Tina Turner was so well-accomplished when she passed away, something I imagine no one would argue with of course.  One thing though that is really important to remember too is that she achieved all of this success despite years and years of abuse at the hands of Ike Turner and also without any formal Singing or Dance training.  You heard me right.  Turner had no formal training in either singing or dancing, yet both came to her naturally and seemingly effortlessly.  

I hope you enjoyed this look back at the life and career of Tina Turner, one of the greatest performers of all time.  And whether or not you enjoyed her music as much as me and my family did, I think it’s impossible to argue that she was a one in a million talent.  I will always be grateful that I was raised on her music and that my mom was able to take me to see her perform, a bucket list item for both of us.  I hope you will join me for my next show where we will take a look back at another fascinating facet of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s in memory of my sister.