Born Anna Mae Bullock, Tina Turner was a powerhouse with a voice that will never be forgotten. Using her painful experiences and raw sensuality to cultivate a new sound, mixed with rock, soul and blues– she was one of a kind, a true legend.
She got her start singing in church choirs before joining R&B band, The Kings of Rhythm, led by Ike Turner who would eventually become her husband and abuse her for decades. Leaving the band, Ike and Tina became a duo and it was that pain and suffering that she channeled to create hits like "Proud Mary" and "Nutbush City Limits."
But those years of abuse only lasted so long, after divorcing Ike in the 70s, Tina reinvented herself. The wounded but wise singer reclaimed her independence and made it her mission to advocate against domestic violence, and for liberation and self-empowerment.
With her passing, we must remember Tina Turner as the brilliant, talented, brave, resilient and change-making icon that she is. As one of the best selling recording artists of all time, she has sold over 100 million records worldwide, won 12 GRAMMYs, found a place on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. We could go on but the stats don't lie.
So as we mourn her, check out some special podcast episodes dedicated to The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll.
LISTEN NOW: Last Days Podcast - Special Episode: Tina Turner
Derek Kaufman and Eric Colley sat down for this special episode to highlight the legend that is Tina Turner, outlining some of her accolades such as her two-time induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and being the first Black person and woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
"It's difficult to categorize Tina Turner because her career was really singular, there was no career like it," Derek said before they dived into how Tina was truly in a lane of her own.
LISTEN NOW: Pop Culture Happy Hour - Tina Turner
Ann Powers sat down with Aisha Harris to "parse through" Tina's legacy together. Listening to her very first hit, "A Fool in Love," Ann said "I feel confident in saying that Tina Turner was really the first voice of the Classic Rock era," she continued, explaining that Tina really "modernized" Rock music at the time she first came into the scene.
LISTEN NOW: Sound Opinions - Tina Turner: RIP to an Icon
The Sound Opinions podcast with Jim and Greg took some time to "pay tribute" to the legend. The expound on what they believe is the most fascinating part of her career– her reinvention. "Nobody really wanted to sign a woman of color in her mid-40s in the mid-80s," they shared as they both agreed that her comeback was beyond impressive.
LISTEN NOW: Rolling Stone Music Now - The Life and Music of Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock & Roll
Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield joined host Brian Hiatt to address Tina's latest documentary and dive into her life full of adversity and how she brought the issue of domestic violence to mainstream media. "It can't be stressed enough, historically, that she was the first celebrity to talk about this. In the 80s at a point where as crazy as it seems right now, the term 'domestic violence' didn't exist," Rob said, and directly credits her for shedding light on the issue of domestic violence.
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