‘A true legend’: Rock ‘n’ roll icon Tina Turner has died at 83. Here’s how people are reacting

Thousands of tributes, homages and messages of support have come out in the wake of rock n’ roll pioneer Tina Turner’s death, aged 83, announced by her manager Wednesday.

Turner died Tuesday following a long illness, her representative confirmed, at her home in Küsnacht, near Zurich, Switzerland. Despite being born in the U.S., Turner had been a Swiss citizen since 2013.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” reads a post on the star’s official Instagram. “With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow.”

“Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”

Minutes after her passing was announced, countless posts from fans, celebrities, institutions and more flooded social media.

Mick Jagger, the famed lead singer of the Rolling Stones and a long-time friend and admirer of Turner, said “She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”

Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, called Turner an “inspiration” and said she was a “benefactor of the energy, creativity and talents of Tina Turner. A woman who started in rural Nutbush, TN cotton fields and worked her way to the very top.”

Motown singer Diana Ross said she was: “Shocked. Saddened. Sending condolences to Tina Turner’s family and loved ones.”

English actor John Cleese, of “Monty Python” fame, shared a video of him interacting with Turner on stage and wrote: “Her talent was beyond measure.”

American actor George Takei, known for his role on “Star Trek,” posted that “a true legend has passed.” Referencing some of her hits, Takei said Turner was “our River Deep and our Mountain High, the Private Dancer in our hearts. She showed us that love really does has everything to do with it, and that we really did need another hero.”

Former NBA superstar Magic Johnson praised Turner’s energy during her performances and said she “created the blueprint for other great entertainers like Janet Jackson and Beyoncé and her legacy will continue on through all high-energy performing artists.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which Turner had been inducted into twice, posted a Twitter thread in tribute. “Tina Turner worked hard to reimagine the role of a Black woman in rock & roll — one that was firmly placed front and center,” it said, before praising her strength in surviving her abusive marriage while making music history as a solo artist.

Even NASA paid homage to Turner’s passing, writing: “Simply the best. Music legend Tina Turner sparkled across the stage and into millions of hearts as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her legacy will forever live among the stars.”

With her known admirers ranging from Beyoncé to David Bowie, it’s little wonder why so many are responding. Here’s some more of what fans are saying:

Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital, found fame in her early life performing with her then-husband Ike Turner in the “Ike and Tina Turner Revue.” The pair split following a 16-year-long relationship, after years of physical, financial and emotional abuse by Ike.

Financially ruined by the divorce, Turner would later defy the odds by rising to superstardom on her own in her 40s, pumping out megahits including: “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me,” “Typical Male” and many more.

By the end of her illustrious career, Turner had sold over 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — with Ike in 1991 and on her own in 2021 — and has been the basis of a film, Broadway Musical and HBO documentary.

Turner is survived by her second husband, music executive Erwin Bach, and two of Ike Turner’s sons, Ike Turner Jr. and Michael Turner, whom she adopted.

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