Is Tina Turner Older Than Her Husband, Erwin Bach?
Music icon Tina Turner recounted her tumultuous marriage to Ike Turner in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do with It. But Turner eventually found marital bliss with German music producer Erwin Bach. The couple married in 2013 after dating since 1986.
Tina Turner and Erwin Bach have a 16-year age gap
After her abusive relationship with Ike Turner ended in divorce in 1978, the Private Dancer singer spent several years focused on her healing and career. Turner recalled when she first crossed paths with Bach in 1986, and how she was immediately smitten.
“The day I first met Erwin, at an airport in Germany, I should have been too tired from my flight, too preoccupied with thoughts of my concert tour, and in too much of a hurry to get to my hotel to pay much attention to the young music executive who came from my record company to welcome me,” Turner wrote in her book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. “But I did notice him, and I instantly felt an emotional connection.”
Turner pointed out that she went against her initial reaction to pull back, and instead purposely set out to learn more about Bach, who is 16 years her junior. The two quickly became an item.
“Even then, I could have ignored what I felt,” the Proud Mary singer remarked. “I could have listened to the ghost voices in my head telling me that I didn’t look good that day, or that I shouldn’t be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart.”
Tina Turner’s husband donated his kidney
Over the years, Turner weathered many health-related storms, including a stroke, intestinal cancer, and kidney failure. The legendary singer praised Bach for selflessly giving her one of his kidneys during her illness.
“I’m happy to say that, thanks to my beloved husband, Erwin, giving me one of his kidneys, the gift of life, I’m in good health and loving life every day,” Turner shared. “I’m also thankful that I’ve not only survived, but thrived.”
Turner also expressed her gratitude for being in a relationship that allows her the freedom to grow independently.
“Being with Erwin has taught me to love without giving up who I am, as we grant each other the freedom and space to be individuals at the same time we are a couple,” she wrote. “He shows me that true love doesn’t require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other’s lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together.”
Tina Turner says ‘age is just a number’
Turner died on May 24, 2023 at the age of 83. She and Bach, 65 lived in Zurich, Switzerland since 1995. The Goldeneye singer refused to be defined by age.
“I really do believe that age is just a number, and I have never let age stand in my way,” Turner wrote in Happiness Becomes You. “Not at 42, when people said that I was too old to be a rock star. And not now, in my 80s, when the book I dreamed of writing for decades is finally in your hands.”
Never one to slow down, Turner always had plenty of plans in the works for the years ahead.
“I’ve passed 80, but I have not ‘arrived,'” she noted. “I still challenge myself to grow, to step out of my comfort zone, to improve my life, and to be of service to others.”
