What Tina Turner Taught Us About Comebacks

Glow girls, we done lost a legend.

I was at lunch with my new colleague, K, to celebrate her 20-ish birthday when her mom texted her with the sad news. Our celebration abruptly turned into a remembrance. Glow Girls of all ages have been inspired by this shining light of a beauty.

Tina Turner passed at the age of 83 in her home in Switzerland, far away from Nutbush, Tennessee where she was born back in 1939.

tina turner
“Private Dancer” was recorded in 1984, when Tina Turner was 45 years old

Her journey is what makes her so iconic. Tina started from the bottom, and now she’s here: legendary, rock-star status.

If you watched the Tina Turner documentary last year, then you know she was born into humble beginnings and named Anna Mae Bullock, the least favorite of her mother’s children. Growing up in the rural American South with very little money, a lack of nurturing and few opportunities in her small town, she eventually left her dysfunctional family for a husband (he who shall not be named) who wooed her with the promise of love, comfort and stardom. Sadly, he just ended up exploiting her God-given talents and abused her for decades.

“What’s Love Got to Do With It?” was recorded in 1993, when Tina Turner was 54 years old.

The Queen of Rock n’ Roll had no choice but to rebuild her career in her late 40s after getting a divorce and suddenly becoming a single mom. She decided to reclaim her time as a solo artist. Tina went on to produce hit after hit as a solo act, including Private Dancer (1984), Simply the Best (1991), What’s Love Got to Do With It? (1993) and Wildest Dreams (1996). She eventually found true love in her last husband, Erwin Bach, with whom she spent her last days in her Swiss Alps abode.

Glow Girls, if Tina’s story can teach you anything, I believe it is that you can rebuild your life, start a new career and reclaim your time at any age.

If you are feeling lost or confused, here are three Tina Turner Quotes that will help you get your Glow back:

  • Faith: “I never said, ‘We’ll, I don’t have this’ and ‘I don’t have that.’” I said, “I don’t have this yet, but I’m going to get it.’”
  • Determination: “My legacy is that I stayed on course… from the beginning to the end because I believed in something inside of me. 
  • Hope: “This is what I want in heaven… words to become notes and conversations to become symphonies.”

It seems as if Tina’s setbacks were always a set up for a comeback. Simply the best!

(Tina Turner quote graphics by Norma Ramirez).

What is your favorite Tina song or quote? Talk to us on Instagram and watch an iconic Tina Turner performance on our reels feed @glowstreamtv.

Markette Sheppard

Markette Sheppard

Markette Sheppard is an Emmy award-winning TV host, children's book author, marketing executive and founder of Glow Stream TV. Follow her online @markettesheppard and @glowstreamtv.

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