Tina Turner

Tina Turner

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress.

Turner has been acknowledged as one of the world's biggest-selling music artists of all time with record sales exceeding 180 million.

To date, Turner has 7 Billboard top 10 singles and has 33 Top 40 hits in the UK and sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer ever.

History

In St. Louis, Anna met musician Ike Turner and later asked him if she could sing for him. Ike was initially sceptical, but after much persistence on Bullock's part, Ike Turner eventually decided to let her perform for him.

In 1960, when a singer scheduled to record the song, 'A Fool In Love', didn't appear, Bullock stepped in and recorded the vocals instead. 'A Fool In Love' was a huge R&B hit reaching #2 crossing over to the top 30 of the US pop chart.

Ike changed Bullock's name to Tina and his band's to The Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

In 1962, the two married in Mexico.

Ike and Tina Turner recorded a string of hits in the 1960s, including the groundbreaking 'River Deep, Mountain High' with producer Phil Spector.

Ike ruled with an iron fist. While a fine musician and an early rock and roll influence, his temperament eventually led to their decline as his drug abuse worsened. This controlling (and often violent) atmosphere caused the musicians and backup singers to come and go frequently.

Tina later reported being isolated and physically abused by Ike on a regular basis, this would eventually lead to their divorce after 16 years of marriage.

1980s

In 1984, Turner released her fifth solo album, Private Dancer which established Turner as a credible solo artist.

It charted a total of five top forty singles and three singles reached the top ten in the states. Capitol issued the number-one hit 'What's Love Got to Do With It', which helped Turner win 'Record Of The Year', 'Song of the Year' and 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance' at the 1985 Grammy Awards.

Private Dancer remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Worldwide the album has been estimated having sold between 10-11 million copies, although some estimate closer to 20 million copies, making it Turner's most successful solo album.

Turner entered the Guinness Book of World Records during her 'Break Every Rule' tour when she performed in front of the largest paying audience ever to see a single performer. The audience was made up of over 184,000 spectators at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In 1989, Turner released Foreign Affair. This album sold over 6 million copies worldwide and received a Grammy nomination for 'Best Female Rock Vocal performance' at the 1989 Annual Grammy Awards.

The following year, Steamy Windows, received a Grammy nomination for 'Best Female Rock Vocal performance'. It spawned a variety of different hit singles with the most enduring being the hit 'The Best' (often referred to as 'Simply the Best'), originally a song on a Bonnie Tyler album.

The song peaked at number 15 on the U.S. Hot 100, and peaked at number five in the United Kingdom. Also, "I Don't Wanna Lose You," peaked at #8 on the UK Charts.

1990's

In 1995, Turner recorded the title theme of the James Bond film 'GoldenEye', penned by Bono and The Edge of U2.

Shortly thereafter, Turner released her eighth original studio album, entitled Wildest Dreams. In the same year she embarked in her record breaking 'Wildest Dreams' world tour becoming one of the most extensive tours ever by a single performer grossing over $100 million in Europe alone.

Tina officially announced that she would embark on her last major arena and stadium promotional tour. Ending on a high note, her 'Twenty Four Seven' world tour grossed over $80 million in the US alone. It became the 5th biggest concert tour ever in the U.S, earning her the title of top-grossing tour in the year 2000.

2000-present

On April 29, 2008, Turner announced that she will embark on her 'Tina: Live in Concert' tour in early October.