Tina Turner is one of the most iconic names in the music industry. Responsible for bringing us “Proud Mary,” Turner may be 76 years old, but she’s still going strong. However, despite the fact that Turner has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Tina Turner. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Was Not Always Tina Turner. In fact, her birth name is Anna Mae Bullock. Turner was raised in the small town of Nutbush, Tennessee.
Number Fourteen: She Met Ike Turner in a Club. Turner met Ike at St. Louis’ Club Imperial, which her sister Allene took her to in high school. Turner worked with Ike on his single titled “A Fool For Love” after the singer who was originally supposed to work on it didn’t show.
Number Thirteen: Her Sexy Persona Was Curated by Ike. Though Ike was Turner’s husband, he was also the one who wanted her to embrace her sex appeal on stage. Ironically, this also spurred him to go into a jealous rage on several occasions.
Number Twelve: Her Biggest Hit Was “Proud Mary.” You might know that “Proud Mary” was a big success, but did you know it was her biggest hit? The song was actually a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s song, and it won her and husband Ike a Grammy.
Number Eleven: She and Ike Had Radically Different Lifestyles. By 1974, Turner and Ike had completely different ways of life. Ike had spiraled into cocaine binge after cocaine binge, while Turner had converted to a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist. While on tour in the 1980s, Turner would often chant for up to three hours every day.
Number Ten: Her First Two Solo Albums Flopped. Turner’s first two solo albums, released in 1974 and 1975, did horribly on the charts.
Number Nine: She Left Ike in 1976. Turner left Ike in 1976 with only 35 cents and a gas station credit card in her pocket. They ended up divorcing in 1978, and Turner took all of the responsibilities for debts incurred by canceled shows and taxes.