Tribute to Tina Turner

A strong positive voice, Tina Turner will be sadly missed

So sad to hear the news that singer Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83.

To me, she was the embodiment of a survivor and came out the other end with grace, energy and lots of success.

When I was in my early teens, my mom's friend gave me advice: If your boyfriend ever lays a hand on you, walk out. She said I don't care if you are living with him or whatever, walk out the door and don't look back. You don't deserve to be treated like that.

Ike and Tina Turner in the 1950s

As a naive sheltered teenager I didn't fully understand what she meant until I encountered Tina Turner's music on her Private Dancer album that came out in 1984 and then read about her life with Ike Turner.

He controlled her starting in the mid 1950s, from changing her name to Tina from Anna Mae Bullock, and later revealed he abused her. He threw hot coffee in her face, choked her, beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, and then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with a mouth full of blood.

She credits her emerging Buddhist faith to give her the strength to finally leave Ike in 1976.

In her memoir she recalls sneaking out of their Dallas hotel room with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents while he slept. She ran across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck and found another hotel to stay.

"I looked at [Ike] and thought, 'You just beat me for the last time, you sucker'," she recalled in her book.

Turner performing with Mick Jagger

Even though Turner's career as a solo artist floundered, she kept going, and finally had her break in the early 1980s when established artists like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and David Bowie shone their star power on her.

When Private Dancer came out, it was a huge hit, selling more than 8 million copies and she didn't stop after that, performing to huge crowds, particularly in the UK and Europe.

That sultry big voice, her big hair, sleeveless dresses -- and those legs! How she continued to perform in heels well into her 60s was amazing. And that energy! 

American journalists like Mike Wallace and CNN host Larry King were baffled as to why Turner would move to Switzerland and even take up Swiss citizenship.  

Turner explained matter-of-factly she was as big if not bigger than Madonna in Europe. But was she still American? 

Turner moved to Switzerland in 1995

As long as she is happy where she is, what does it matter? Does she not deserve to live wherever she wants?

So when I was young, I imagined if I was ever in a horrific relationship, I would think of Turner as my guiding light.

And she probably was for countless other women too.

Thank you for being the true star for all of us, showing the way to greatness.