Tina Turner, an iconic and celebrated music artist of our time, leaves behind a remarkable five-decade-long career that will undoubtedly be remembered for generations. Her journey, filled with both musical triumphs and personal tribulations, was a testament to her enduring spirit.
Amidst the challenges, Tina found solace in her relationship with Erwin Bach, her husband, and life partner in Switzerland. Their love story spanned over two decades before they officially tied the knot in 2013 when Tina was 73, and Erwin was 57. Despite their age difference, their love remained unwavering, and they navigated life’s highs and lows hand in hand, radiating love throughout their journey.
While Tina was a renowned celebrity in her own right, Erwin Bach was a highly accomplished individual as well. Their paths crossed for the first time in 1985 at an airport, a seemingly ordinary encounter that would later shape their destiny. Initially, their relationship remained platonic for more than a year, as Tina, scarred by past experiences, was cautious about opening her heart again. However, she eventually heeded her heart’s call, and in 1986, they became a couple, staying together until Tina’s passing on May 24, 2023. Their enduring love story serves as a reminder that one is never too old to find their true life partner.
Upon their initial encounter, Tina couldn’t help but take notice of Erwin Bach, despite the exhaustion from her long flight. She candidly shared in her new book that, when he greeted her at a German airport, she “instantly felt a deep emotional connection.” Reflecting on that moment, she admitted, “I should have been too fatigued from my flight, preoccupied with thoughts of my concert tour, and in a hurry to reach my hotel to pay much attention to the young music executive from my record company who had come to welcome me. But I did notice him.”
Erwin Bach, a German music producer and executive, has left an indelible mark on the music industry, amassing an impressive fortune of $50 million today. Additionally, he dabbled in acting with a few minor roles throughout his career.
Despite sensing a connection with Bach, Tina was initially reluctant to pursue love due to her tumultuous past with her former husband, Ike Turner. Together, they had achieved phenomenal success in the 1960s and 1970s as the hottest R&B duo of their time. However, their personal relationship took a dark turn, marred by Ike’s physical abuse towards Tina, who felt trapped.
“It was an utterly unhappy situation I found myself in, but I felt too deeply entangled. I was ensnared in my concern for Ike,” Tina revealed. “Even with how terribly he treated me, I still carried a sense of responsibility not to let him down. It was a mental struggle I faced at the time, and I was afraid to break free.”
In 1976, after enduring 16 years of an abusive marriage, Tina mustered the courage to leave, embarking on a new journey with neither money nor a plan. Initially facing hardship, the singer persevered, eventually finding both a place to call home and reuniting with all four of her children. She relied on food stamps and the support of her family to put food on the table. The divorce that followed was protracted, public, and tumultuous, but once it concluded, Tina managed to regain her independence and ventured into a solo career. Yet, this path was fraught with challenges, as her subsequent musical releases received a lukewarm reception until the early 1980s.
Her rendition of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” marked a turning point, propelling her back onto international charts and peaking at No. 6 in the UK. A year later, she achieved the pinnacle of success by securing the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 100 with her timeless hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” heralding a new chapter in her career.
After enduring immense hardship and the turmoil of her divorce, Tina finally found her voice and stardom. Following such a traumatic experience, it would have been natural to shy away from romantic relationships. However, taking a chance on Erwin Bach ultimately proved to be the best decision for her. She reflected, “Falling in love with my husband, Erwin, was another step outside my comfort zone, an openness to the unexpected gifts that life has in store.” She added, “That simple first meeting paved the way for a long, beautiful relationship — my one true marriage.”
Tina and Bach did not have children together, but Tina had four biological children: Ronnie Turner, Ike Turner Jr., Michael Turner, and her late son, Craig Turner. Craig was her child with her former boyfriend, Raymond Hill, and Ronnie was her child with Ike Turner. Additionally, she adopted Ike’s children from his previous marriage, Ike Jr. and Michael.
In 2006, during an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show, Tina openly discussed her perspective on marriage. She expressed that she had no plans to marry at that time, stating, “People often ask me why I don’t want to marry. I have love. I have a good life. I don’t need to disrupt that. For some, marriage implies ‘You’re mine now,’ and that can be the beginning of relationship problems.”
Tina elaborated, “Neither Erwin nor I feel the necessity to wed. We’ve been together for 18 years. What could marriage offer me that I don’t already have? Marriage might be more about satisfying public expectations. But why should I seek public approval when I’m already content?”
While these sentiments are understandable, it became evident in 2013 that both Tina and Bach were ready to embrace matrimony. They exchanged vows in a beautiful ceremony near Lake Zurich, followed by a Buddhist ceremony at their Zurich home. The event drew prominent figures such as David Bowie, Oprah Winfrey, and Sade, as reported by the Daily Mail. According to the Swiss weekly newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag, Tina requested all attendees to wear white attire, and she herself donned a stunning gown designed by the renowned Giorgio Armani.
The pair also reportedly sent out notices to their neighbors apologizing in advance for any noise they may cause. What a considerate thing to do! Despite all the joy and jubilation that surrounded the wedding, Tina faced many difficulties soon after.
Three weeks following their wedding, she suffered a stroke, which forced her to learn to walk again.
“In the hospital, I didn’t believe that I couldn’t walk,” the singer recounted to Winfrey in 2018. “Then I stepped out of bed and flopped to the floor and said, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ But I wasn’t depressed — I was just determined to fix it.”
While Tina was still in the midst of intensive physiotherapy, working diligently to regain her ability to walk, another tragic event unfolded in 2016. She received a diagnosis of intestinal cancer, accompanied by the distressing news that both her kidneys were failing. Despite the grim prognosis, Tina confided to Winfrey that she had found a sense of peace with her destiny and believed she had lived a fulfilling life.
She had reservations about the prospect of relying on “machines” to sustain her for the remainder of her days, but her husband, Erwin, was resolute in his determination to spare her from that fate. Tina recounted Erwin’s heartfelt response, saying, “Erwin, overcome with emotion, chimed in and declared, ‘I don’t want another partner.'” It was a profoundly touching sentiment that underscored the depth of the love shared between Tina and Bach.
In 2017, Tina underwent a successful kidney transplant, and she went on to lead a joyful life alongside her husband in Zurich.
“I’m pleased to share that, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of my beloved husband, Erwin, who gifted me one of his kidneys, the precious gift of life, I find myself in robust health, relishing every day,” Tina wrote in her memoir, as reported by Closer Weekly. “I’m also grateful that not only have I endured, but I’ve flourished, enabling me to impart to you the treasures contained within this book—the most significant gifts I can bestow.”
Despite life’s punctuations of tragedy and adversity, Tina remained deeply appreciative of her journey, which had been imbued with beauty.
“My life in the past decade has epitomized my ideal version of happiness,” Tina shared in a December 2020 interview with The Guardian. “This might come as a surprise to some, given my serious health challenges. However, genuine happiness isn’t contingent on a life devoid of problems. Authentic and enduring joy arises from possessing an unwavering, optimistic spirit that radiates light, irrespective of circumstances. That’s what I’ve achieved, and my dearest wish is to empower others to find true happiness as well.”
Tina extended a helping hand to others in their pursuit of happiness through her book “Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good,” which was published on October 27, 2020. In the book, the iconic artist delved into her faith in Buddhism, her spiritual journey, and the numerous obstacles she had surmounted.
Tina and Erwin continued to lead a harmonious life together, even as Tina grappled with illness in her final days. The legendary artist passed away on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83, in her Switzerland residence. Her last years were marked by a prolonged battle with illness, encompassing cancer, strokes, and kidney failure.
Before Tina’s passing, she and Bach shared a splendid residence in Switzerland. As detailed by Oprah Daily, this estate, named “Chateau Algonquin,” exuded a whimsical charm. A description of the home portrayed it as “overlooking Lake Zurich, adorned with climbing ivy along its walls, tended to by meticulous gardeners, featuring a life-sized two-legged horse sculpture suspended beneath a domed ceiling, adorned with a framed depiction of Turner as an Egyptian queen, and housing a room replete with opulent Louis XIV-style sofas.”
For Tina, embracing true love and happiness proved to be a challenge, given her tumultuous past. In fact, when Bach proposed to her, her response was notably ambiguous, as she couldn’t fathom that he genuinely desired a lifelong commitment with her. Tina had candidly expressed:
“I replied, ‘I don’t have an answer.’ It wasn’t a yes, nor was it a no. Marriage, to me, implied possession. I no longer wanted that possessive ‘my’ anything. I had had my fill of it.”
Fortunately, the couple ultimately decided to fully commit to each other and continued to cherish their love until Tina’s passing. When Tina was diagnosed with kidney cancer, Bach stepped forward, a moment Tina recounted in her book “My Love Story.” She explained:
“He told me he didn’t desire another woman or another life. Then he surprised me by saying he wanted to offer me one of his kidneys.”
Tina was “overwhelmed by the magnitude of his gesture.”
Bach and Tina maintained their strong bond and served as an inspiring example for those who believed that finding love later in life was an impossibility. This couple demonstrated that age was merely a number within a devoted and affectionate relationship. Above all, Tina’s legacy will undoubtedly endure, continuing to inspire and uplift generations to come.
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