Tina Turner children: how many kids did singer have, who was her husband Erwin Bach?

The late Tina Turner is widely regarded as one of the most talented singers of her generation, and remains one of the best-selling artists of all time - but away from the stage she was also the mother of four children.

The What’s Love Got to Do With It singer gave birth to her first child early in her career when she was just 18 years old. She later also adopted two children during her relationship with former bandmate Ike Turner.

Turner's career began in 1957 and she has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her contributions to music - but who was the Queen of Rock n Roll away from the spotlight, and who is her second husband Erwin Bach? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Erwin Bach?

Erwin Bach had a loving relationship with Tina Turner for 38 years until her death on Wednesday 24 May 2023 following a long, unspecified illness.

Bach is the second husband of Turner, with the late singer saying she had an instant connection with him from the moment they locked eyes in Dusseldorf airport in Germany back in 1985.

Bach was an executive with the European record label EMI and he was sent to greet the iconic singer at the airport. The pair both described the encounter as love at first sight.

In 2021, during an HBO documentary titled Tina, Bach recalled his first meeting with Turner. He said: “Her manager Roger [Davies] asked me to pick up Tina.”

Tina added: “He was really good looking. My heart [was beating fast] and it means that a soul has met and my hands were shaking. My hands were ice cold. So this is what you call love at first sight, I thought. Oh my God, I am not ready for this.”

The pair began their relationship in 1985 and they decided to officially tie the knot 27 years later during a civil ceremony on the shores of Lake Zurich in Switzerland in 2013. The newly married couple threw a lavish party days after their wedding, with a guestlist boasting the likes of stars such as Oprah Winfrey and David Bowie.

After the wedding Turner spent several years battling with life threatening illnesses - she suffered a stroke just three weeks after her wedding with Bach and was later diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016.

Turner experienced a number of unpleasant side effects from her treatment and as a result she turned to homoeopathic remedies, but her condition gradually worsened and she ended up with kidney failure.

Turner recalled her experiences in her 2018 memoir My Love Story. She wrote: “At the time Switzerland’s organ donor rate was one of the lowest in Europe - which meant at 75, I’d probably never rise to the top of the waiting list.

“I began to think about death. If my kidneys were going, and it was time for me to die. I could accept that. It was okay. When it’s time, it’s really time. I didn’t mind the thought of dying but I was concerned about how I would go.”

Bach ended up donating his own kidney in April 2017 to save Turner’s life and the operation was successful.

How many children does Tina Turner have?

Turner was a mother of four children - Ike Turner Jr and Michael Turner, along with late sons Ronnie Turner and Craig Turner.

Turner welcomed her eldest child Craig in 1958 during a relationship with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill. The pair split two years later in 1960 and she began a relationship with future husband Ike Turner, who was the frontman of the group. She expanded her family by welcoming her second son Ronnie that same year.

Turner married Ike in 1962 and she adopted his two children, Ike Jr and Michael, who were from Ike’s previous marriage to Lorraine Turner.

Tina’s eldest son Craig died by suicide in July 2018 and her son Ronnie died in December 2022 from complications relating to colon cancer.

When was Tina Turner married to Ike Turner?

Turner married Ike in 1962, and the pair were together for 16 years until their divorce in 1978.

They performed live together in a musical duo from 1960 to 1976 which was known as Ike & Tina Turner. They were regarded as one of the biggest acts in the R&B circuit at the time.

In 1981, Turner opened up about the truth behind her abusive relationship with Ike and in her HBO documentary Tina, she said: “I wanted to stop people from thinking that Ike & Tina was so positive, that we were such a great team. So I thought if nothing else, at least let people know.”

Ike largely stayed away from the spotlight after the divorce with Turner and he passed away in December 2007 at the age of 76.

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