Tina Turner was known for a lot of things. Her energy. That smile. The famous legs and unbridled dancing. But there’s a lot off the stage that you may not have known about the Queen of Rock & Roll. For starters, a lot of us didn’t even know that she was sick. At least not “end of life” level sick.
Tina Turner Battled Health Issues For A Long Time
In fact, today.com reported that a “long illness” was the cause of Turner’s death. Which long illness they were referring to remains unknown. Turner had a stroke back in 2013 at the age of 74. And she was very open back in 2016 when she was battling intestinal cancer. She also had to have a transplant in 2017 due to kidney failure at the age of 78.
And even before that Tina Turner was dealing with high blood pressure. The condition ran in her family, so Turner wasn’t surprised she also had to deal with it. But the condition was a huge contributor to her kidney failure and eventual transplant. Turner also reported that the chronic high blood pressure damaged her heart.
A Little Background, For The Youngsters
Before Tina Turner was a solo artist, she performed with Ike Turner in his band Kings of Rhythm. When she first saw Ike Turner on stage, Tina Turner was quite mesmerized with his guitar-playing talent, and asked to sing with them. He blew her off, so Tina took matters into her own hands. She grabbed a microphone during an intermission so Ike had to hear her sing.
As brazen as that might seem, it worked. Tina Turner became a featured singer with the band after that night. The world has adored her as a solo artist. On stage, she was all smiles. But a lot happened behind that smile that wasn’t always public information.
Here are a few things you might not know about the life of Tina Turner.
She Wasn't Born Tina
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Tina Turner‘s legal name was Anna Mae Bullock. She was born under that name on November 26, 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee.
She Grew Up Believing She Was Unwanted
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Because of the domestic abuse in the home, Tina‘s mother Zelma planned to leave Tina‘s father. When she found out she was pregnant with Tina, she stayed. In her memoir, Tina Turner said she didn’t believe her mother ever wanted to have her because it kept her stuck in the abusive relationship. And even after Turner became a superstar, her mother was still cold and unloving.
Her Stage Name Was A Legal Ploy By Ike Turner
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When the owner of a record label suggested making Tina the star of the duo’s show, Ike renamed her Tina Turner and then trademarked the name. He did this in case she decided she wanted to leave the act. Ike figured he could replace her with another woman and use the same name.
Her Stage Name Was Inspired By The Queen Of The Jungle
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When Ike Turner needed to rename his star, he was inspired by Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. He used “Tina” because it rhymed with Sheena.
She Was The First Black Woman On The Cover Of Rolling Stone Magazine
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On November 25, 1967, Tina Turner appeared on the second cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Which made her both the first black artist and the first woman to do so. She graced it alone again in 1969, and then with Ike in 1971. After her comeback and debut as a solo artist, she made a statement about her new independence with her solo cover photo in 1984. And, of course, she’s been on the cover several times since, both alone and with other artists.
She Had PTSD From Her Relationship With Ike
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Tina Turner experienced a lot of domestic violence during her relationship with Ike Turner, as documented in her book, I, Tina as well as her biopic starring Angela Bassett. Years later, she was still having bad dreams about her experience, Bach said in an interview for the documentary, Tina. (nypost.com).
She Attempted Suicide To Get Away From Ike
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Turner‘s relationship with Ike Turner was so bad that she thought the only way out was suicide. She overdosed on sleeping pills in 1968, but it didn’t kill her. She woke up from her attempt disappointed she was still alive. But she had a revelation then as well that she was meant to live for a reason. She never tried it again, and eventually left Ike.
She Gave Up Her American Citizenship
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In an interview with Larry King in 1997, Tina Turner announced she was giving up her American citizenship and becoming a citizen of Switzerland. Her reasoning included the fact that her then boyfriend, Erwin Bach, lived there. And she said her music was far more successful in Europe than in the states. She lived in Switzerland with Bach until her death last month.
Her Husband Donated A Kidney To Her
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Tina Turner‘s chronic high blood pressure contributed to her kidney failure. After the stroke she suffered in 2013, her doctor reported her kidney only having 35% of its functionality. After undergoing dialysis, Turner underwent a transplant. Her replacement kidney was donated by her then husband, Erwin Bach.
She Considered Assisted Suicide
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Before Tina Turner had her kidney transplant, she was in so much pain that she considered assisted suicide. It is legal in Switzerland, where she had full citizenship. She went as far as to join the assisted-suicide organization called Exit when the toxins in her body became too much to bear.
