"Who is Tina Turner?" is a question I've heard and seen on social media among young people since the news of the legend's passing broke. This confused me because I thought, "who doesn't know Tina Turner?"
Everyone remembers being home on the weekends and hearing the music our parents would play from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. "What's Love Got To Do With It?", "Simply The Best", "Private Dancer", and many other of Tina Turner's songs would be a part of that weekend mix. As young, avid music listeners, we need to know the black music icon who paved the way for today's music. Here are five facts about Tina Turner for young music lovers who want to learn more.
1. Her career spanned 5 decades
Tina Turner's career began in 1956 in St. Louis, Missouri, when she began performing with her former husband, Ike Turner. The duo, who went by the name Tina and Ike Turner Revue, performed together for 20 years before separating in 1976. Tina Turner continued her music career following their separation and found great success with the release of her solo debut album, "Private Dancer", in 1984. The singer accumulated great success over the decades until her 50th-anniversary tour in 2009, when she announced her retirement.
2. She was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame twice
The Swiss, formerly American, singer was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 for her performance with Ike Turner as a duo. She was later inducted again in 2021 for her performance as a solo artist.
3. She set the Guinness World Record for "largest paying concert attendance for a solo artist."
Tina Turner broke this world record, formerly held by Frank Sinatra, in 1988 when she performed in front of an estimated 188,000 people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She had the record for 12 years.
4. She received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The singer received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 at the 60th staging of the award show. This award is given to performers who the Recording Academy recognises have made outstanding creative contributions of artistic significance during their lifetime.
5. Holds the title of Queen of Rock' n' Roll
Tina Turner was a great performer and singer recognised for her outstanding contributions to music, specifically in Rock 'n' Roll. This title is deserved as her 5-decade career, 8 Grammy Awards, critically acclaimed biopic, 500 plus weeks on music charts worldwide, and other achievements only scratch the surface of her tremendous career.