Some women are born with balls. Tina Turner would be one of them. She's fought for everything she's gained in this lifetime -- and she has gained plenty. At the same time, Tina is all woman. And what a woman she is: strong, smart, direct, hot, proud to be who she is and unafraid to let her light shine. She's an inspiration to Tarts everywhere and, while we're sad to hear she has retired at a spectacular-looking 60 years of age, we hope she enjoys every minute of the years ahead. Like we said, she's earned it.
"I had to make my own way... I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life."
Tina Turner was born dirt
poor in Brownsville, Tennessee way back in 1939 (if you can believe
that) and raised in the nearby town of Nutbush. The people there
knew her as Anna Mae Bullock. She moved to St. Louis in 1956 with
her sister Alline after being abandoned by their mother (their
father soon deserted them as well). There she met a man named
Ike Turner who headed up a local band called The Kings Of Rhythm.
He turned her down flat when she asked to sing for the band but,eventually,
she won hiom over. In 1958 she began her professional collaboration
with Ike; they married two years later.
In 1960, Tina filled in for a missing session singer on Ike's A Fool In Love and it became a smash R&B hit, then crossed over to become a pop hit as well. Renamed The Ike & Tina Turner Revue, the duo racked up hit after hit together. As their professional success soared, their private life soured, fueled by jealousy and drug abuse. In the late seventies, a newfound faith in Buddhism and solo success as an actress gave Tina the courage to strike out on her own. The price she paid for her freedom: she gave up all rights for compensation for her work with Ike Turner - and never looked back. No regrets. She has always considered it a price well paid for her freedom. She had no money, four children to support and soon discovered that the music industry was supremely disinterested in her solo talents. It only made her more determined.
"I
don't have time for bitterness. One shouldn't have time for bitterness
when you're trying to be successful. Work towards what you want,
that's my attitude." With the help of manager Roger Davies, she began to reinvent her career in 1979. She returned to rock 'n' roll and tempered it with her own special brand of soul, finally breaking out again thanks to her smash performances during the 1981 Rolling Stones U.S. tour. A year later, her success as a solo artist in Britain - where her cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together became a Top 5 hit - signaled that she was on the way to worldwide stardom. By then, Tina was in her early 40's - ancient by music industry standards. It never stopoped heror held her back. Her subsequent album Private Dancer sold over 11 million copies worldwide, and its single What's Love Got To Do With It entered the ranks of pop classics. She parlayed this success into a career starring in such movies as Mad Max: Beyond The Thunderdome.
"Sometimes you've
got to let everything go -- purge yourself. If you are unhappy
with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of
it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity,
your true self comes out."
After that, nothing could
stop her. She became a popular duet partner with legends such
as Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Elton John and Mark
Knopfler. She also wrote a best-selling autobiography, mounted
record-breaking concert tours and branched out into even more
varied creative endeavors as she reached her 50th year.
For the last ten years, despite one extended leave of absence to enjoy life, Tina Turner has remained one of the most beloved performers in the world. She has achieved personal happiness as well with a man many years her junior. She leads an intensely private personal life, yet remains a public insipriation to many - especially women the world over.
For her guts and her courage... for her ability to take risks... for her beautiful legs and miniskirts and her own inimitable style... for her brains and her heart and so much more: we proudly induct Anna Mae Bullock of Brownsville, Tennessee into our Tart Hall of Fame.
Tart Emeritus: Modesty Blaise Tart Emeritus: Mae West
Tart Emeritus: Theda Bara
Tart Emeritus: Kathleen Turner
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