Tina Turner, widely hailed as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” passed away on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83, leaving behind an extraordinary musical legacy. Over five decades, she built a career filled with international hits and countless accolades, becoming a global icon of talent and resilience. However, her personal life was far from easy, particularly due to the years of domestic abuse she endured from her former husband and musical partner, Ike Turner Sr. Despite the trauma, Tina showed remarkable compassion by adopting Ike’s sons from a previous relationship—Michael and Ike Jr.—and raising them alongside her own sons, Ronnie (with Ike Sr.) and Craig Raymond Turner (with saxophonist Raymond Hill).

Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, Tina’s early years were shaped by instability and abandonment. Her mother left the family when Tina was just ten years old, and her father followed shortly after. She was raised by her grandmother before reuniting with her mother as a teenager in St. Louis, where fate led her to meet Ike Turner. Their dynamic musical partnership catapulted her to fame under the name “Ike and Tina Turner,” but behind the scenes, Tina suffered years of physical and emotional abuse. In 1976, she made the brave decision to escape the marriage with nothing but 36 cents and a Mobil credit card, eventually divorcing Ike in 1978.

After leaving Ike, Tina faced an uphill battle to rebuild her career but eventually rose to even greater fame as a solo artist in the 1980s. Her hits such as “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Private Dancer,” and “Simply the Best” solidified her as a powerhouse in the music industry. She retired from performing in 2009 and later settled in Switzerland with her second husband, Erwin Bach, whom she married in 2013. In her later years, she endured significant health issues, including a stroke, intestinal cancer, and kidney failure—overcome in part thanks to a life-saving kidney transplant from Erwin. Despite these struggles, Tina often expressed deep gratitude and contentment in her final years.

Her relationships with her adopted sons, particularly Ike Jr. and Michael, were complicated after her divorce from Ike Sr. Ike Jr. was candid about feeling abandoned by Tina, claiming they had been estranged for many years following her relocation to Europe. Nevertheless, Tina reportedly helped support Michael during his medical hardships. Though the emotional distance between them remained, Tina’s role in raising them and shaping their early lives left a lasting impact. Ike Jr., who followed a musical path of his own and earned a Grammy Award, acknowledged Tina’s formative influence despite the pain of their later estrangement.

Tina Turner’s final years were marked by reflection, forgiveness, and acceptance. She made it clear that although she had come to forgive Ike Sr. for his abusive behavior, reconciliation was not possible. The pain of losing her biological sons—Craig to suicide in 2018 and Ronnie to cancer in 2022—added profound sorrow to her life. Yet through every hardship, Tina remained a symbol of resilience and strength. Her story is one of triumph over adversity, and her indelible contributions to music and culture will continue to inspire generations to come.