How did Tina Turner die? Career and life explained as BBC celebrates legendary musician with live concert broadcast

Tina Turner will be seen on stage in her final tour, filmed in 2009. The live performance, filmed in Arnhem in The Netherlands, will be broadcast on BBC2 at 10.55pm on Saturday, August 9.

Tina is considered a musical legend, with millions mourning her death back in 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about the star.

How did Tina Turner die?

Tina passed peacefully on May 24, 2023 at her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. A representative for the musician later confirmed that the 83-year-old passed from natural causes.

Tina previously opened up about multiple life-threatening illnesses she had battled throughout her life. She revealed that she has suffered from untreated high blood pressure from 1978, which resulted in kidney damage and eventual kidney failure.

In 2013, she suffered a stroke in the weeks following her marriage to Erwin Bach and was forced to learn to walk again. In another blow to her health, Tina was diagnosed with intestinal cancer.

In 2017, she underwent a kidney transplant after husband Erwin offered his to be transplanted. Prior to this, she had been advised that her chances of receiving a transplant were low and she subsequently signed up to an assisted suicide organisation (which is legal in Switzerland).

How many times was Tina Turner married?

Tina was married a total two times - to Ike Turner from 1962 until 1978, and Erwin Bach from July 2013 until her dead in 2023.

The singer had been platonic friend with Ike Turner before beginning an affair with him while the musician was still with his partner Lorraine Taylor. Tina and Ike would go on to build a huge public persona as Ike & Tina Turner, performing together on stage for years, releasing songs such as ‘Proud Mary’, ‘Nutbush City Limits’, and ‘River Deep Mountain High’.

Falling pregnant, Tina and Ike moved to Los Angeles upon the birth of their son Ronnie and later married in a ceremony in Tijuana, Mexico.

However, their relationship hit the headlines throughout the years due to the domestic violence experienced by Tina at the hands of Ike, who was heavily addicted to cocaine by the mid-1970s. Tina revealed that he had been physically violent and conducted affairs throughout their marriage, which led to the singer attempting to take her own life in 1968.

Tina left Ike after a fight at a hotel on in July 1976. The incident caused the end of her relationship both on and off stage with Ike. She later filed for divorce from Ike, which was finalised in March 1978.

In 1986, Tina met German music executive Erwin Bach and began dating him later that same year. They enjoyed a 27-year relationship before tying the knot in July 2013. They resided in Switzerland and remained married until Tina’s death in May 2023.

How many records did Tina Turner sell?

Tina’s incredible career has seen her become one of the best-selling artists of all time. The singer-songwriter, who was dubbed the ‘Queen of Rock & Roll’, has reportedly sold more than 100,000,000 records worldwide to date.

She initially achieved success as part of her duo with ex-husband Ike Turner, but launched a solo comeback in the mid 1980s with her multi-platinum album Private Dancer, which spawned the lead title single as well as hits including ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’, ‘Let’s Stay Together’ and ‘Better Be Good To Me’.

Tina experience a career revival after the success of Private Dance and went on to release hits such as ‘It’s Only Love’, ‘The Best’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Fight’. She also penned chart-topping hit ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)’ for the film Max Max: Beyond Thunderdome and performed the title song to the 1995 James Bond flick GoldenEye.

She celebrated 50 years in music with her 2008/09 tour Tina!: The 50th Anniversary Tour. The sold-out tour visited cities in North America and Europe. She officially retired from performing following the conclusion of the tour.