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Celebrities and Musicians Remember Tina Turner

The “Queen of Rock and Roll.” Photo: Amanda Edwards/Redferns/Getty Images

Tina Turner died on Wednesday at 83 at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. Her publicist, Bernard Doherty, confirmed her death to news outlets, while a post on her Instagram account announced, “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music.” She died of intestinal cancer, a diagnosis she received in 2016.

Widely known as the “Queen of Rock and Roll,” Turner started performing in the late ’50s, building an audience while touring the Chitlin’ Circuit with Ike Turner, who would eventually become her husband. The duo sang together for over two decades, opening for the Rolling Stones in 1969 and reaching peak commercial success with their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” They performed together until she filed for divorce in 1976, citing irreconcilable differences. She would later detail the physical, emotional, and financial abuse she suffered at her ex-husband’s hands, disclosing in her memoir that she attempted suicide during a low point in their relationship.

After the divorce, Tina launched one of music’s greatest comeback stories as a solo artist, following her previous two solo albums with Rough and Love Explosion. Her fifth solo studio album, Private Dancer, sold 10 million copies worldwide and earned four Grammys the following year. In her 2021 documentary, Tina, she called Private Dancer her debut, saying, “I don’t consider it a comeback. Tina had never arrived.” Her powerhouse vocals and magnetic performance style made her one of the most beloved and influential figures in pop, soul, and rock.

In a statement from the White House, President Biden called Turner a “once-in-a-generation talent that changed American music forever.” Here’s how fellow musicians, writers, and actors are honoring her.

This post has been updated.

Celebrities and Musicians Remember Tina Turner