It's time again for the A to Z challenge. The challenge is to write posts 6 days a week (Monday through Saturday) during the month of April. Women in Music is my chosen theme for this years challenge.
Tina Turner is a singer, dancer, actress, and author, whose career has spanned more than half a century, earning her widespread recognition and numerous awards. Born and raised in the Southeastern United States, she is now a Swiss citizen.
She began her musical career in the mid-1950s as a featured singer with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm, first recording in 1958 under the name "Little Ann." Her introduction to the public as Tina Turner began in 1960 as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Success followed with a string of notable hits credited to the duo, including "A Fool in Love", "River Deep – Mountain High" (1966), "Proud Mary" (1971) and "Nutbush City Limits" (1973), a song which she herself wrote. In her autobiography, I, Tina, she revealed several instances of severe domestic abuse against her by Ike Turner prior to their 1976 split and subsequent 1978 divorce. Raised as a Baptist, she melded her faith with Nichiren Buddhism in 1971, crediting the spiritual chant of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in the Soka Gakkai tradition for helping her to endure during difficult times.
After her divorce from Ike Turner, she rebuilt her career through live performances. In the early 1980s, she launched a major comeback with another string of hits, starting in 1983 with the single "Let's Stay Together" followed by the 1984 release of her fifth solo album Private Dancer which became a worldwide success. "What's Love Got to Do with It", the lead single won three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year. Her solo success continued with the multi platinum albums Break Every Rule and Foreign Affair and with singles such as "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "The Best" and "GoldenEye" for the James Bond film of the same name. "What's Love Got to Do with It" was later used as the title of a loosely based biographical film adapted from her autobiography. In addition to her musical career, Turner has also experienced success in films, including the role of Acid Queen in the 1975 rock musical Tommy, a starring role alongside Mel Gibson in the 1985 action film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and a cameo role in the 1993 film Last Action Hero.
One of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, she has also been referred to as The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Turner has been termed the most successful female Rock 'n' Roll artist, receiving eleven Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards and three Grammy Hall of Fame awards. Turner has also sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history. Her combined album and single sales total approximately 180 million copies worldwide, making her one of the biggest selling females in music history. She is noted for her energetic stage presence, powerful vocals, and career longevity. In 2008, Turner returned from semi-retirement to embark on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. Turner's tour became one of the highest selling ticketed shows of 2008–09. Rolling Stone ranked her no. 63 on their 100 greatest artists of all time. In 1991, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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