Tina Turner in photos: Essential facts about her life and career

Tina Turner passed away in 2023 at the age of 83, leaving behind an impressive musical legacy and a reign as a rock diva that spanned more than 50 years. These are the things you should absolutely know about one of the biggest female icons in pop music.

She will go down in history as Tina Turner but her real name was Anna Mae Bullock. She was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, United States, on November 26, 1939.

Ike Turner gave Anna Mae her stage name, Tina, and her last name, Turner. They worked together from 1954 to 1976 and were married from 1962 to 1978. The marriage was marked by Ike's drug abuse and violence towards Tina.

A remarkable part of Tina Turner's long career was that she managed to reinvent herself after her separation from Ike Turner. In the divorce proceedings, she managed to keep her ex's recognizable name, Turner, and she used it to launch an amazingly successful solo career in the 1980s.

Before she had any big solo hits, Turner made money giving her memorable performances. After her solo tours in the late 1970s, she got to open for the Rolling Stones and for Rod Stewart in 1981. It was a way to spread the word that she had by no means retired and that important fellow pop and rock stars supported her.

The advent of synthesizers helped her turn a song by Al Green into an 80s hit: 'Let's Stay Together.' Tina Turner also stood out because of her blond hair and outfits that were considered daring and sensual for a woman in her forties.

She also collaborated with other artists, like David Bowie and Eros Ramazzotti (1984). With Bowie, she sang a cover of the Iggy Pop song 'Tonight,' and with Ramazzotti, she sang the bilingual 'Cosa della Vita' (1997).

She appeared in the film 'Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome' (1985) as Aunty Entity. For its soundtrack, she sang: 'We Don't Need Another Hero.' A classic song that reached number two in the US at the time.

Later, in 1995, she would sing the James Bond theme song 'GoldenEye' - written by Bono and The Edge from U2.

Tina Turner's marriage with her musical partner Ike has been the topic of many reports and biopics. 'What's Love Got to Do with It' (1993) earned lead actress Angela Bassett an Academy Award.

From Kanye West to Notorious B.I.G., Beyoncé, and Jay-Z, several hip-hop stars have considered the relationship between Ike and Tina Turner a part of pop culture history and a reference to use in their lyrics.

The outcome was not good for Tina Turner, though. Often the lyrics portrayed the violence she endured in a mocking or joking way, reporters from Rolling Stone and other music publications have claimed. As such, they diminished the real pain Tina Turner experienced as the victim of domestic abuse.

Throughout her career, Tina Turner sold hundreds of millions of albums. In 1988, Tina Turner gave a concert at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro which was attended by 180,000 people. With that achievement, she made the Guinness Record for the highest number of tickets sold.

In 2009, Tina Turner decided to retire and enjoy life in Switzerland. "I was tired of singing and making everyone happy," she told The New York Times.

Not only her past with Ike Turner but also other aspects of her personal life were tremendously hard. She lived through the death of two of her children. One of them was Ronnie, 58, who died in December 2022 after experiencing respiratory difficulties, TMZ reported.

Four years earlier, Craig Raymon Turner, the 59-year-old son of Tina Turner, had taken his own life at his Studio City residence. The actress was at an Armani show in Paris when she was informed of what had happened.

A good part of her private life was her peaceful and happy second marriage. She met the German music producer Erwin Bach, 16 years her junior, in the 1980s and would marry him in 2013.

Tina Turner died ten years later in Switzerland with the love of her life by her side.