Tina Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock, would have her start in an unincorporated town in Tennessee known as Nutbush. Born to Floyd Bullock and Zelma Priscilla, she was the youngest of three daughters. Tina used to sing in choirs in churches, first showing signs of her career. After she graduated high school, Tina would follow this passion, performing at nightclubs in St. Louis.
Tina first met her eventual husband and collaborator at the nightclub she regularly performed at in Illinois. Ike Turner was performing with his then-band Kings of Rhythms, an offshoot of the ensemble band the Tophatters. Tina was prompted to sing by one of the members, causing Ike to be immediately captivated by her voice.
Ike would eventually ask Tina to become a singer for Kings of Rhythms, later becoming the precursor for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She would be dubbed Little Ann by Ike, with this name also being her first credit in the music industry. Eventually, she became known as Tina Turner.
While the Ike & Tina Turner Revue commenced, the Kings of Rhythm shadowed as their backing band. This would also include the debut of The Ikettes, a trio that worked as the backup vocals and dancers for the two. Their debut single with Tina now known as Tina Turner would be “A Fool in Love.” The song would become a hit, reaching a peak of No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. At the time, it was unheard of for an R&B song to reach such heights, as noted by legendary music journalist Kurt Loder.
The band would tour across the country, and release their debut album a year later, The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner. The album would hold two of their most popular songs at the time, “A Fool In Love” and “I Idolize You,” but unfortunately would not reach a charting position.
The Ike & Tina Turner Revue continued onwards, famously performing in the Chitlin’ Circuit- a connected venue for African American artists to perform, set throughout different cities in America. Some recognizable performers through that circuit would be Nat “King” Cole or Little Richard, and would lead to historic venues like the Apollo Theater or the Regal Theater.
The performances from the Ike & Tina Turner Revue were well-regarded and led to the group becoming notorious within the circuit, making the band a must-see act. Tina would slowly become known as the stand-out of the band, slowly transforming her modest look from long gowns to baring her now-famous legs and dancing alongside the Ikettes.
…lead vocalist Tina was a ferocious whirlwind of power and energy, a raw sexual dynamo who was impossible to contain when she hit the stage, leading some critics to call her the first female singer to embody the true spirit of rock & roll. In their prime, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue specialized in a hard-driving, funked-up hybrid of soul and rock that, in its best moments, rose to a visceral frenzy that few R&B acts of any era could hope to match.
Steve Huey, “Ike & Tina Turner Biography,” AllMusic
While the band continued with their show-stopping acts on tour, the charting positions of singles and albums seemed to have hit their peak. Throughout the 1960s, the Revue would release singles like “A Fool For A Fool” and “Two Is A Couple,” and albums such as Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live. These bodies of work would make significant noise for the band, but would seldom make an appearance on the charts. However, things began to change once Phil Specter, one of the most successful producers of the 60s, witnessed a showing of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
Entranced by the vocal stylings of Tina, he would propose they work on a single together, which would eventually lead to Specter buying out the group’s prior record deal to sign with his label. They would release the 1966 single, “River Deep – Mountain High,” which failed to meet expectations in the US, but became a hit single in Europe, peaking at number 3 on UK charts. While Europe may have been willing to give Tina her flowers, the final decision was to scrap the album the single was named after.
It was only in 1969 after the scrapped album was decided to be released that it was met with American favor. The album would hit number 28 on the R&B albums chart. This would lead to the group releasing their next album, The Hunter, leading Tina to be nominated for her first Grammy.
The late 1960s would mean touring for the group, later famously becoming opening acts for the Rolling Stones. The early 70s was when the group truly hit their stride, with the release of Workin’ Together, becoming their most successful album to date, peaking at number 4 on the Hot 100. The album contains “Proud Mary,” a cover single that won them their first Grammy.
The group officially became a mainstream success, continuing this momentum with more charting singles and Grammy nominations. However, in 1978, after a tumultuous falling out ending in a divorce, Tina and Ike would ultimately disband the group.
After the fallout of Ike & Tina, there were murmurings in the industry about the state of their careers. Tina would continue appearances on TV shows and solo tours to pay off any debts accumulated. She would release a string of albums, one of which being Rough, but would fail to meet the momentum the duo previously had. For the next seven years, she would continue appearances from previous hits, but had no new ones to show.
It was only in 1984, where she released “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” that her career did a complete 180. This song charted number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her first song to do so, completely rejuvenating her career. The song was released in conjunction with latest studio album Private Dancer, which also held two other Top 10 hits.
She would later win three Grammys, embark on another tour, star in movies like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, perform with Mick Jagger, and stack numerous, well-deserved accolades. This particular era was deemed “the greatest comeback in music history,” and launched the second iteration of her career.
In 1986, Tina Turner released her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story. It detailed her beginnings in Nutbush, along with the start of her career and relationship with Ike Turner. The book was a bestseller, eventually receiving a film adaptation. The movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It, was also successful, leading to Academy Award nominations for lead actors Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
Tina Turner is a multi-generational talent, acting as a blueprint for and inspiration to performers around the world. Before her passing in 2023, she became a resident of Switzerland in 2013, as it was the home of her second husband, Erwin Bach. She preferred European culture, feeling it regarded her in a better light than America. Notably throughout her career, whenever a single would fail to chart in America, it would usually make some commotion on European charts.
Tina Turner will always hold a place in our hearts, leaving love behind with her legacy as the “Queen of Rock and Roll.” She always found a way to overcome every hardship she faced and left behind a historic legacy. Tina will always be known as a trailblazer, through her dynamic performances, powerful voice, and multitalented works. Through all iterations of her astonishing career, her talent has been a true testimony to resilience, showing that what used to be considered a career-ender was nothing but a small hurdle. May Tina Turner rest in peace, and her majesty live on forever.
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