Tina Turner Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tonight, becoming one of only three women in the institution's history to be inducted twice.
Turner wasn't in Cleveland to accept the award in person, but she appeared in a brief special video. "If they are still giving me awards at 81, I must be doing something right," she noted from her home in Switzerland.
Keith Urban and H.E.R. started the live tribute with "It's Only Love," the 1984 duet between Turner and Bryan Adams. Both wielded guitars and shared vocals on a killer version of the song. (Adams was scheduled to perform but reportedly pulled out because he tested positive for COVID-19.) They were followed by Mickey Guyton, who delivered a sultry, faithful take on "What's Love Got to Do With It." Christina Aguilera ended the live tribute to Turner with a powerhouse version of "River Deep - Mountain High."
The Grammy-winning "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" was previously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as one-half of Ike & Tina Turner. She topped the Rock Hall fan vote earlier this year with 585,000 ballots, beating Fela Kuti, the Go-Go's, Iron Maiden and Foo Fighters.
Turner's illustrious, six-plus-decade career began in 1957 when she started performing with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. She appeared on the song "Boxtop" the following year under the name "Little Ann." Ike & Tina Turner made their recording debut in 1960 with "A Fool in Love," which became one of the first R&B songs to enjoy crossover pop success and went platinum.
Ike & Tina Turner scored numerous hits throughout the '60s and '70s (most famously a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary") and developed a reputation as a must-see live act. Turner filed for divorce from Ike in 1976, and their turbulent marriage officially came to an end in March 1978.
Turner's career declined for several years following the divorce, but she launched a massive comeback with her 1984 solo album Private Dancer, which went five-times platinum and spawned the No. 1 hit "What’s Love Got to Do With It." In the recent HBO documentary Tina, Turner reflected on her remarkable career and her dream "to be the first Black rock 'n' roll singer to pack places like the [Rolling] Stones." "Look what I have done in this lifetime with this body," she said in the trailer. "I'm a girl from a cotton field. I pulled myself above what was not taught to me."
Turner and fellow 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Carole King became only the second and third women to be inducted twice. They both follow Stevie Nicks, who was inducted as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019.
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on Nov. 20 on HBO alongside a radio simulcast on SiriusXM Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio.