Radio LBB: The Sound of Tina Turner - In Celebration of Her Life & Legacy

With more than 150 million records sold worldwide, a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction and 12 Grammy wins, the legendary singer Tina Turner passed away last month at the age of 83 years as one of the best-selling recording and most decorated artists of all time that performed for five decades.

Her raspy and astonishing powerful voice and attitude as well as indomitable spirit paved the way for artists such as Beyoncé, Mick Jagger, Janelle Monáe, Jennifer Hudson, Brittany Howard, Lizzo and Janet Jackson, just to name a few.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee and inspired by pioneers such as LaVern Baker and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Tina began her career in 1957 after moving to St. Louis where she met Ike Turner and started singing with his band Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm as Little Ann. Later debuted as Tina Turner in 1960,  becoming the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, partner with whom she would also have a troubled romantic relationship.

In her biography released in 1986 the singer described their marriage as ‘’hell on Earth’’. Not only Ike would cheat on her over and over again, but according to Tina he was controlling and also physically abusive, putting her in the hospital several times. Divorcing him in 1976 she renounced all rights and joint property, only taking her stage name with her. 

As scholar Maureen Mahon points out, ‘’Turner had become the indisputable Queen of Rock and Roll over the years and did not arrive at this position by accident. She achieved superstar status through musical and cultural strategies that heightened her proximity to rock. 

Starting with her 1966 solo project with producer Phil Spector and continuing into the 1970s with her group the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, Tina began to incorporate rock music into her repertoire. This process continued when she set out on her solo career in the late 1970s. With the 1984 release of Private Dancer, she established herself as a top-tier entertainer. Maybe the most astonishing fact is that she made her ascent at the age of 45, well past the usual sell by date in the youth-oriented world of rock and roll.’’

Furthermore, Tina Turner's legacy goes beyond music influencing many artists with her high-energy choreography, dance moves and vocal attack (that inspired even Mick Jagger), as well as masterful and electric and eclectic performances and glamorous style. She also opened the doors for women beyond music as a powerful advocate against domestic abuse, turning into a symbol of endurance, grace, success and resilience, building her own solo career and inspiring generations.

We added songs that made the Tina Turner sound, as well as artists that openly said that are influenced by her.