After a protracted illness, Tina Turner, dubbed the “Queen of Rock’n Roll” for her explosive concerts and intensely gritty vocals, passed away today at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, not far from Zurich. She was 83 years old.
She leaves behind a “music legend and a role model,” according to a statement from her representative in the United Kingdom, Bernard Doherty.
Turner, who was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in Nutbush, Tennessee, rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the late 1960s.
She staged one of the greatest comebacks in pop music history after divorcing husband Ike Turner after years of verbal and physical abuse. She scored huge hits in the 1980s like “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Private Dancer,” and “The Best,” with more than 180 million albums sold, 12 Grammy Awards won, and sold-out stadium tours across the globe.
