Tina Turner

Biography current as of induction in 2024

Born Anna Mae Bullock and raised in a farming family in Nutbush, Tennessee, she was a natural performer from a young age, singing in the church choir. As a teenager, she was drawn to the music scene in St. Louis, Missouri, where her commanding vocals impressed bandleader Ike Turner, and she joined his Kings of Rhythm in 1957.

Renamed the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, the group became a leading touring act in Black-owned nightclubs across the Southeast. The 1966 crossover track “River Deep, Mountain High” marked the start of Turner’s enduring European stardom, and the group reached new global audiences while touring with the Rolling Stones. With their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” in 1971, the ensemble earned their first Top 10 hit and a Grammy Award. Behind the scenes, however, Turner faced torturous abuse from Ike. Escaping her marriage in 1976 with 36 cents and a Mobil gasoline card, the resilient Turner relied on business savvy to slowly build a solo career.

In 1984, the album Private Dancer, with hit singles “Better Be Good to Me” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” sparked Turner’s solo stardom and chart-topping success as a rock-driven artist. Two more hit albums followed: Break Every Rule (1986) and Foreign Affair (1989). With a reignited power and liberated stage presence, Turner lit up the globe with her energetic live shows, including a record-setting performance at Brazil’s Maracanã stadium before 180,000 fans in 1988.

After retiring from touring in 2009, Turner published a memoir, was remixed by superstar producer Kygo, appeared in the critically acclaimed documentary TINA, and executive-produced the Tony-nominated Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. With multiple Number One and platinum records, 12 Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and her second induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, Turner remains one of the world’s best-loved artists.