With the world record for most concert tickets for a solo artist sold in history, over 200 million albums sold, and a style that continues to inspire artists from J-Lo to Beyoncé, there is no mistaking the impact that Tina Turner has had on music as we know it.
But even though we all know the words to “Proud Mary” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It” like the back of our hands, that doesn’t mean we know everything there is to know about the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll. That’s why we’re rolling out some incredible facts you should know about Tina Turner.
What’s in a Name?
Like many artists, Tina Turner’s name is a stage name. When she was born in Nutbush, Tennessee, in 1939, she was born Anna Mae Bullock. In fact, when she began performing in the late 1950s, she performed under the name “Little Ann.”
The name change occurred at the suggestion of Ike Turner, who copywrote the name so that if Tina ever left the band, he could bring on a new performer under the same name. Tina herself did not want to use the stage name. However, Ike insisted, and because of his abusive behavior, she continued to tour under it.
Wiggin’ Out
It’s well known that Tina Turner is a fan of wigs, her most famous being the teased blonde wig she’s worn on multiple album covers and during a host of performances. But what often surprises people is that, despite her incredible on-stage presence, one of the major reasons Turner wore wigs on stage was because of insecurity.
In an interview, Turner revealed that in her early days as a musician, she was insecure about her unique, raspy singing voice and her appearance. One of her ways of coping with this was by dialing her dancing skills and her style to eleven with incredible dresses and make-up. The wigs were just another way for Turner to boost her self-image as she found her place in the music world.
Moves Like Jagger
Mick Jagger’s dance moves are legendary in the music world. And while he’s cited people like his mother and James Brown as being inspirations for his iconic steps, there is another person he should thank— according to Turner, anyway.
According to Turner, while she and the other members of Ike and Tina’s musical revue were performing with the Rolling Stones at Royal Albert Hall in 1966, she and the Ikettes taught Jagger the dance “The Pony” while they were in the dressing rooms. And if you watch videos of Jagger’s dancing style, it’s easy to see at least a little of the influence there.
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