Black Music Month Celebrates: Tina Turner

Her birth name was Anna Mae Bullock, but the world will forever remember her as Tina Turner, the queen of Rock and Roll.

Born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26th, 1939, Tina Turner hailed from Brownsville, Tennessee. She was the youngest of three sisters, including Evelyn and Ruby and came from a family of sharecroppers. Tina’s older sister Evelyn later died in a car accident with two of her cousins. As a young girl Tina ended up living with her strictly Christian grandparents after her family relocated. The strict environment of Christianity that she was surrounded by while living with her grandparents played a big role in the duration of Tina’s life. By the age of 11 Tina started singing in her church choir. This move played a big role on her path to musicianship.

While working as a domestic worker in her teen years, Tina and her older sister Ruby began attending nightclubs in St. Louis, Missouri. This is when she was first introduced to her future husband, Ike Turner as he performed with his band The Kings of Rhythm. Tina was mesmerized at the site of Ike Turner performing with his band. This was the moment that put Tina on the path to who she was meant to become. Tina was eventually given the rare opportunity to sing with Turner, an opportunity that was highly sought after by Turner’s frequent female guest. After hearing Anna Mae sing the love ballad “You Know I Love You” by B.B. King, Turner was impressed and asked Tina to sing more songs with him and his band. Eventually Turner decided induct Anna Mae into his band as a vocalist.

In 1958 Tina recorded her first song “Boxtop” alongside The Kings of Rhythm. Around this time Ike Turner had given Tina the nickname Little Ann. Two years later Little Ann wrote a song for the group called “A Fool in Love”. The song was originally meant to be performed by fellow group member Art Lassiter, but after Lassiter failed to show up for the group’s recording session, Ike Turner suggested that Ann perform the record. The appeal of the record convinced Turner to elevate Tina to the position of lead vocalist for the band. Once it was made official Turner then gave Ann the stage name Tina Turner. He wanted her to have his name as a trademark just in case Ann decided to leave him or abandon the group.

By 1960 Ike and Tina had officially become a couple. What started off as a platonic relationship as Ike was molding Tina on her path to be a singer grew into romance. The two eventually were married and had children together. It was also at this time that Ike, Tina and their bandmasters had achieved commercial success in the music industry with more R&B hits like hits "I Idolize You", "Poor Fool", Tra La La La La" and “Proud Mary”. For the remainder of the 60’s the Ike and Tina Revue enjoyed much success. Tina was also being viewed as a bonafide star in her own right.

As the 60s concluded and the 70s progressed, Ike and Tina enjoyed much success as two of the biggest stars in music, but while their careers were on a high, their marriage was at a low. Tina confessed to being put through much abuse at the hands of Ike during their time together. The couple were eventually divorced and disbanded musically by March 29th, 1978. Tina then embarked on a solo career.

The start of Tina’s solo career was rocky as she was was working to pay back debts to her label that she had accumulated during the time of her divorce from Ike. Tina grew to new heights when she released her landmark solo album Private Dancer in May of 1984.

It was on this album that she crafted her signature song “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. The album was a mega hit going five times platinum in the United States and selling over 10 million copies world wide. With her energetic transition from smooth R&B to upbeat Rock and Roll, Tina had become one of the world’s most beloved singers. With her newfound success Tina also made a transition to film when she co-starred alongside Mel Gibson in the post-apocalyptic action hit film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985.

In the decades since Private Dancer and her time with Ike Tina has continued to be one of the world’s most beloved musicians. She has been crowned as the Queen of Rock and Roll and has influenced so many stars from every genre including Beyoncé Knowles, Madonna and Mariah Carey among countless others. She has had a biopic about her life made that has become one of the most praised biopics in film history with Turner being portrayed by the legendary Angela Bassett in one of the most captivating on screen performances ever and she has even been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On May 24, 2023 Tina passed away at the age of 83. After her death I learned that my great uncle Herman was a member of Ike and Tina Turner’s band for over 30 years as the trombonist.

Though her death was an intoxicating blow to the world of music. Her spirit and impact will live on forever. She broke down barriers for Black artist and built bridges between people from all walks of life and time. Black Music Month celebrates Tina Turner (the Queen of Rock and Roll).