Queen of Rock 'n' Roll Tina Turner Dies at 83: Her Remarkable Journey, In Her Own Words

Tina Turner, whose raspy contralto and volcanic stage presence made her a stellar musical icon, died at 83 on May 24 at her home near Zurich.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in tiny Nutbush, Tenn., she was renamed Tina Turner by her bandleader and abusive husband, Ike Turner. She soared as a solo star in her mid-40s, winning three 1985 Grammys for her Private Dancer album. She blazed at an age when most stars dim, and sang with admirers like David Bowie, who compared her to "Bob Hope or Louis Armstrong, as the sort of ambassador of America," and Mick Jagger, who copied a few of her moves and said, "She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”

At 60, she sold a record $100 million-plus in tickets for her 2000 tour, and her spectacular success paved the way for successors like Beyonce, who sang "Proud Mary" at Turner's 2005 Kennedy Center Honors tribute and said, "When I think of inspiration, I think of the two Tinas in my life, my mother Tina, and of course the amazing Tina Turner. I never in my life saw a woman so powerful, so fearless, so fabulous — and those legs!"

Turner spoke to AARP in 2020 about her tough but ultimately triumphant life and work, and her book "Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good." What follows is that interview as told to Alanna Nash.

Healing from within

As a kid, I wanted to get away from working in the cotton fields of Tennessee. I dreamed of going to Hollywood, although I had no idea where that was. Most of all, I dreamed of living a life filled with love and harmony. My mother did not want me. So I focused within for my sense of security. Even in my darkest days, I realized that when I sincerely strove to help myself and kept a peaceful, hopeful outlook, magical things happened. Eventually, I was able to heal my heart and give myself the love I hadn't received when I was young. I like to say that I changed poison into medicine and transformed the difficulties in my life to realize my dreams.

Power in forgiveness …

My mother and I got closer later in life, and I forgave her. I helped her move out to Los Angeles, where she saw my career breakthrough. And I forgave my former husband, Ike Turner, too, for years of domestic violence — black eyes, busted lips, broken bones and psychological torture. At one point I was so despondent, I swallowed 50 sleeping pills in a suicide attempt. But I had to make peace with my past, and forgiveness sets us free. I believe in karma, in cause and effect, so forgiving people for the wrongs they've committed is not the same as excusing their actions. Forgiveness is more about cutting the chains of negativity from whatever has caused us pain.