Tina Turner obituary: the world wept as revolutionary R&B soul singer passed at 83

The news of iconic singer-songwriter Tina Turner’s passing sent waves of sadness and shock across the globe. She is remembered as one of her generation’s core soul singers and songwriters, and was recently inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her entry was revolutionary in a way, alongside the cohort of artists selected year after year which made up a group not too dissimilar to a restricted old boys club.

Nonetheless, it is understood that she passed peacefully in Switzerland at the age of 83. The artist had reportedly been dealing with difficult health complications for years, including cancer and bouts of high blood pressure.

While others faded, her voice remained fresh and vibrant

Sadly she remained unable to meet most of her grandchildren before she died. Yet in her passing her five great-grandchildren and her two grandchildren will no doubt be aware of her influence, even if they have little chance to remember her in a personal or physical way.

Ike Jr. Turner, though, one of her two adopted sons, spoke on the family’s personal life, a poignant subject with the trauma Tina Turner had suffered at the hands of her first husband, Ike Turner who consistently beat her in their time together as she recounted in interviews, memoirs, and a documentary. He pleaded for a “time to heal”, particularly after having “gone through so much as a family”. We can only hope they reach some resolution.

Her soulful voice would inspire the later 90s R&B pop genre with icons such as Beyoncé leading the way

What the artist will be most remembered for is her iconic voice. It is one that will ring out for generations to come. And it kept up for decades. While others faded, her voice remained fresh and vibrant. Everyone marvelled at her 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance, as she hadn’t lost her touch or voice, firing out of the gate with iconic hits throughout the night.

Her career beginnings were in ex-husband Ike’s band King of Rhythm as a critical singer, and her voice propelled her to famous tours globally with the band and eventually stardom. Then she went on to fuse an awe-inspiring solo career.

In her era she became a pioneer, as well as a genre divider, as a rare black female vocalist in the rock scene. It was a genre oversaturated with those of the aforementioned old boys club, yet peeling back, the genre has its roots in black culture and musical history as well as black female lead rock singers. It is a genre ultimately plagued by assumptions and restrictions on who is allowed prominence. But Turner worked effortlessly to rebalance this, affording black rockstars some credit and opening the landscape for others. Her soulful voice would inspire the later 90s R&B pop genre with icons such as Beyoncé leading the way. Beyoncé remains a crucial artist who also inspired many who came after her. She is proud to admit this, expressing her feelings in a heartfelt tribute to Turner on her website and tour.

Fans of Turner have continued her remembrance through her music, which reached a staggering 40 million US streams in the week following her death. She became a chart-topper a few days after her passing was announced. Moreover, ‘The Best’ became one of the most popular songs of her discography.

While some of her most recognisable songs are widely considered to be ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ and ‘The Best’, she is also remembered for the ever-popular ‘Goldeneye’, considered one of the most musically impressive and best Bond themes. Its hearty string assortment and blaring brass accompanies her unique and strong voice as she belts out the title track with style, as audiences became accustomed to during her lengthy career. Empowering the musicality with what she could muster was fantastic, and to see her perform these songs was a beautiful treat. She remained a true icon of vocals.

She reminisced on her life and career at 73 years of age in an Oprah interview: “My legacy is that I stayed on course […] from the beginning to the end because I believed in something inside of me.” And despite a difficult start in life, she “just kept going”, leaving us so glad she did. The belief she had in her incredible talent is something that many others marvelled at. Beyoncé admitted at her Paris Renaissance show, “I wouldn’t be on this stage without Tina Turner”. During the tour she has taken great pleasure in commemorating the icon with multiple tribute songs.

In her absence Tina Turner will be greatly missed, for her spirit and music. But one thing is for sure, she will undoubtedly live on.