Tina Turner, one of rock’s great vocalists and most charismatic performers, has been confirmed dead at the age of 83.
It was gathered that Turner died on Wednesday, May 24, at her home in Kusnacht, Switzerland.
Confirming the singer’s death, her spokesperson said: “Tina Turner, the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.
“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”
The U.S.-born star was one of rock’s iconic singers, known for her electric stage presence and hits, including ‘The Best’, ‘Proud Mary’, ‘Private Dancer’, and ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’.
Among the first to pay tribute were Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Elton John, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, and Giorgio Armani.
Jagger said: “She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer.
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“She was inspiring, warm, funny, and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”
Turner previously had intestinal cancer and suffered a stroke, revealing in 2018 that her husband had donated a kidney to save her life as she contemplated assisted suicide.
Her manager of 30 years, Roger Davies, called her “a unique and remarkable force of nature with her strength, incredible energy, and immense talent”, adding that he would miss her deeply
Turner found fame in the 1960s alongside ex-husband, Ike Turner, with the classics River Deep, Mountain High, and Nutbush City Limits, among their hits.
The domestic abuse Ike subjected her to – and her struggle to break free – was documented in a 1993 film starring Angela Bassett, which won three Oscars.
Turner’s life story was also immortalised in a popular West End show that is still running.
The singer’s popularity waned by the end of the 1970s and her days in the limelight appeared over, with Turner mainly playing the cabaret circuit as a heritage act.
However, her career was dramatically resurrected in 1983 when a cover of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together became a huge hit.
Turner, then in her 40s, signed a new contract with Capitol Records which led to the Private Dancer album in 1984.
It went on to sell more than 10 million copies and established her as a mega-star.
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