Tina Turner Fantasized About Redecorating Her House During Her Final Tour: ‘I Was Just Tired of Singing’
Tina Turner recently debuted her HBO documentary, Tina. In the film, she discusses her abusive marriage to Ike Turner, finding success as a solo artist, and remarrying the love of her life, Erwin Bach. The “What’s Love Got to Do with It” singer also confirmed that the doc was a goodbye letter to her American fans.
Before Tina came out, Turner went on tour for the final time. In 2019, she explained how she feels about her 2009 tour.
Tina Turner reinvented herself after her marriage to Ike Turner
Turner’s music career began in the 1960s. The singer, born Anna Mae Bullock, grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee. When she turned 16, Turner moved to St. Louis. While there, she met Ike Turner and convinced him to let her sing with his band, Kings of Rhythm. At first, the pair were close friends. However, they married in 1962. Eventually, the couple formed their band, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue.
During her marriage to Ike, Turner released hit songs such as “Fool in Love” and “Take You Higher.” However, the couple’s most significant record came in 1971 with the single “Proud Mary.” The single won the duo their first Grammy for best R&B vocal performance.
Although she found success with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, Turner allegedly endured years of abuse in her marriage. In 1978, she officially divorced Ike. Afterward, the “I Don’t Wanna Fight” singer was penniless until she debuted her solo album, Private Dancer. The project earned Turner seven Grammy awards and is considered one of the music industry’s most remarkable comebacks.
Why Tina Turner was ‘tired of singing’ during her most recent tour
After the success of Private Dancer, Turner continued to tour stadiums across the world. In 2009, she went back on the road for her tour, Tina! 50th Anniversary. While traveling, Turner revealed to The New York Times that she focused more on her personal life. At the time, she and Bach had been together for years and bought a Swiss villa Algonquin estate on Lake Zurich in Switzerland.
Before moving to Switzerland, the Grammy winner spent many years of her life living for others. After decades of performing, Turner said that she was preoccupied with decorating their home during the tour.
“I was just tired of singing and making everybody happy,” she declared. “That’s all I’d ever done in my life.”
How Tina feels about retiring from music
Since Tina! 50th Anniversary, Turner has stepped away from recording music. The 82-year-old singer currently lives with Bach in Switzerland. She also became a Swiss resident in 2013. In 2019, she shared with NYT that she doesn’t miss performing. Additionally, Turner stopped dressing up once she retired. Although the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer still wears her iconic wigs, she no longer wears the sequin dresses that make the “Tina Turner look.”
In addition to not performing, the “I Can’t Stand the Rain” singer also doesn’t travel to the United States. Once she became a citizen of Switzerland, Turner only returned to the states for special occasions. During her HBO documentary, she surprised fans when she attended her Broadway show, TINA- The Tina Turner Musical. At the end of the doc, Bach shared that Turner’s appearance was her way of saying goodbye to her American fans.
“She said, ‘I’m going to America to say goodbye to my American fans, and I’ll wrap it up,’” Bach said. “And I think this documentary and the play, this is it — it’s a closure.”
