The American talk show host, television producer, Oprah Winfrey has paid tribute to the rock star singer, Tina Turner who passed on Wednesday at her residence in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland after reportedly battled with a long illness.
Oprah who took to her social media platform after the news of her death broke, celebrated the Queen of Rock n Roll to be a role model not only for the American talk show host but for the world. “She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed”, she said.
Tina Turner’s death was announced by her publicist, Bernard Doherty, in a statement released on Wednesday evening, while stated that the Rock n Roll Queen died peacefully in her home in Kusnacht, near Zurich, Switzerland.
According to Oprah, “I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends.
“She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.
“Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph. I’m grateful for her courage, for showing us what victory looks like wearing Manolo’s and a leather miniskirt.
“She once shared with me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious.
Because she had learned how to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends. I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best”, Oprah noted.
The US-born Switzerland citizen was one of the great female rock singers, known for her electric on-stage presence and a string of hits.
It was reported Tina suffered ill health in recent years, after being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and having a kidney transplant in 2017.
Bernard Doherty, in the release, said, “Tina Turner, the ‘Queen of Rock’n Roll’ has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on 26 November 1939 and raised in rural Tenesse community of Nutbush, where she recalled picking cotton with her family as a child.