Discover the career path of Tina Turner, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Tina Turner, the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," achieved fame as the lead singer of Ike & Tina Turner before launching a highly successful solo career after a difficult marriage and subsequent divorce in 1976. As a singer, songwriter, and actress, she became a global cultural icon. Her powerful vocals, energetic stage presence, and resilience cemented her place as one of the greatest and most influential performers of all time.
In 1956, Anna Mae Bullock sang with Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm, for the first time after grabbing the microphone during a break.
In 1958, Anna Mae Bullock made her first recording under the name Little Ann on the single "Boxtop".
In July 1960, Tina Turner was introduced to the public with the release of the single "A Fool in Love".
In 1960, Anna Mae Bullock recorded "A Fool in Love", was renamed Tina Turner, and her stage persona was created by Ike Turner.
In 1961, Ike & Tina Turner's single "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Rock and Roll Performance.
In 1962, Ike and Tina Turner released R&B hits including "I Idolize You", "Poor Fool", and "Tra La La La La".
From 1963, Ike & Tina Turner toured constantly.
In 1964, Tina Turner's first credited single as a solo artist, "Too Many Ties That Bind"/"We Need an Understanding", was released.
In February 1965, Ike & Tina Turner achieved their first charting album with Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot R&B LP chart.
In 1965, music producer Phil Spector invited Ike & Tina Turner to appear in The Big T.N.T. Show after attending their show on the Sunset Strip.
In April 1966, Ike & Tina Turner signed to Phil Spector's Philles label after Tina Turner had already recorded with him.
In May 1966, Ike & Tina Turner's first single on Phil Spector's label, "River Deep – Mountain High", was released.
In November 1967, Tina Turner became the first female artist and the first black artist to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
In 1968, Ike & Tina Turner signed with Blue Thumb Records.
In 1969, Ike & Tina Turner released the album Outta Season and Tina Turner received a Grammy nomination.
In the fall of 1969, Ike & Tina Turner opened for the Rolling Stones on their US tour, raising their profile in their home country.
In 1970, Ike & Tina Turner released the albums Come Together and Workin' Together, which marked a turning point in their careers as they incorporated more rock tunes.
In July 1971, Ike & Tina Turner released their live album, What You Hear Is What You Get, which was recorded at Carnegie Hall and became their first certified Gold album.
In October 1972, Tina Turner and the Ikettes performed at Star-Spangled Women, a political fundraiser for George McGovern, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In 1973, Tina Turner's single "Nutbush City Limits" became a hit, reaching No. 1 in Austria, No. 4 in the UK, and the top 5 in several other countries, earning them the Golden European Record Award.
In 1974, Ike & Tina Turner had follow-up hits including "Sweet Rhode Island Red" and "Sexy Ida".
In 1974, Ike & Tina's album, "The Gospel According to Ike & Tina", received a Grammy nomination. Ike got a solo nomination for "Father Alone." Tina's solo album, "Tina Turns the Country On!", was also nominated. Additionally, Tina filmed the rock opera "Tommy" in London, playing the Acid Queen.
In 1975, Tina Turner acted in the film Tommy.
In 1975, Tina Turner released her solo album "Acid Queen", which reached No. 39 on the Billboard R&B chart and included the singles "Baby, Get It On" and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love".
In 1976, Ike & Tina headlined at the Waldorf Astoria New York and signed a television deal with CBS-TV. Ike also planned a record deal with Cream Records.
In 1976, Tina Turner appeared on TV shows like The Hollywood Squares, Donny & Marie, and The Sonny & Cher Show to earn income.
In 1976, Tina Turner's tumultuous marriage to Ike Turner led to a divorce and the disbanding of their duo.
In 1978, Tina Turner released her third solo album, "Rough", on United Artists with distribution in North America and Europe.
In 1979, Roger Davies became Tina Turner's manager after seeing her perform. She also worked in Italy on the Rete 1 TV series Luna Park. Later that year, she toured South Africa during apartheid, a decision she later regretted.
In 1979, Tina Turner released her album, "Love Explosion", which included a brief diversion to disco music. It failed to chart, leading to her departure from United Artists Records.
In October 1981, Rod Stewart invited Tina Turner to perform "Hot Legs" with him on Saturday Night Live.
In March 1982, Tina Turner performed in the Willem Ruis show in the Netherlands, which resulted in the hit "Shame, Shame, Shame".
In November 1983, Tina Turner released her cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", produced by B.E.F., which became a hit in Europe and the US charts.
In May 1984, Tina Turner released her "Private Dancer" album, which became her most successful album. Also in May, the single "What's Love Got to Do with It" was released. She also opened for Lionel Richie's tour.
On September 1, 1984, Tina Turner achieved her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "What's Love Got to Do with It".
In 1984, Tina Turner launched "one of the greatest comebacks in music history" with her multi-platinum album Private Dancer.
In February 1985, Tina Turner won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for "What's Love Got to Do with It", and embarked on her second world tour to support the "Private Dancer" album.
In July 1985, Tina Turner performed at Live Aid alongside Mick Jagger, in a performance that became iconic. She also released a duet, "It's Only Love", with Bryan Adams.
In 1985, Tina Turner acted in the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Starting in 1985, Tina Turner became the first woman to have cumulative concert sales from tours exceeding $450 million.
In 1986, Tina Turner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1986, Tina Turner released her sixth solo album, "Break Every Rule", and published her autobiography, "I, Tina", which became a bestseller. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1986, Tina Turner's autobiography, I, Tina: My Life Story, was published.
In 1987, Tina Turner began her Break Every Rule World Tour.
In January 1988, Tina Turner performed in front of approximately 180,000 at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, setting a Guinness World Record at the time for the largest paying concert attendance for a solo artist.
In April 1988, Tina Turner released the "Tina Live in Europe" album, which won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
In 1988, Tina Turner held a Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.
In 1988, Tina Turner's Break Every Rule World Tour became the highest-grossing female tour of the 1980s and set a Guinness World Record.
In 1989, Tina Turner released the "Foreign Affair" album, which reached No. 1 in eight countries, including the UK, and included the hit single "The Best".
In 1989, Tina Turner released the hit song "The Best".
In 1990, Tina Turner embarked on her Foreign Affair European Tour, which broke the record for a European tour previously set by the Rolling Stones.
In October 1991, Tina Turner released her first greatest hits compilation, "Simply the Best", which became a major seller worldwide, especially in the UK.
In 1991, Tina Turner received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
In 1993, Tina Turner acted in Last Action Hero and her life was dramatized in What's Love Got to Do with It.
In 1993, the semi-autobiographical film "What's Love Got to Do with It" was released. Tina Turner contributed to the soundtrack, and embarked on her What's Love? Tour.
In 1995, Tina Turner released "GoldenEye", written by Bono and the Edge of U2, for the James Bond film of the same name.
In 1996, Tina Turner launched her Wildest Dreams Tour.
In 1996, Tina Turner released the "Wildest Dreams" album, accompanied by her "Wildest Dreams Tour".
In 1997, the Wildest Dreams Tour concluded as the second highest-grossing female tour of the 1990s.
In September 1999, Tina Turner released "When the Heartache Is Over" as the leading single from her final solo album, "Twenty Four Seven".
In 1999, "River Deep – Mountain High" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
At a July 2000 concert in Zurich, Switzerland, Tina Turner announced that she would retire at the end of the Twenty Four Seven Tour.
By 2000, Tina Turner was recognized as the first woman to have cumulative concert sales from 1985 tours exceeding US$450 million.
In 2000, Tina Turner's Twenty Four Seven Tour was the highest-grossing tour of the year in North America.
In 2003, "Proud Mary" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In November 2004, Tina Turner released "All the Best", which became her highest-charting album in the United States.
In 2005, Tina Turner received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, with tributes from various artists.
In 2005, Tina Turner's album, "All the Best" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum in several countries.
In February 2006, Tina Turner released "Teach Me Again", a duet with Elisa, for the film "All the Invisible Children", with proceeds donated to charity.
In February 2008, Tina Turner made a public comeback at the Grammy Awards, performing with Beyoncé and winning a Grammy for her feature on "River: The Joni Letters".
In October 2008, Tina Turner embarked on her first tour in nearly ten years with the Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which became a major success.
In 2009, Tina Turner co-created a spiritual music project called Beyond with Dechen Shak-Dagsay and Regula Curti.
In 2009, Tina Turner co-founded the Beyond Foundation, a global music foundation, with Regula Curti and Dechen Shak-Dagsay.
In 2009, Tina Turner officially retired from performing, marking the end of a legendary career.
In 2009, Tina Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.
In April 2010, due to an online campaign by fans, Tina Turner's 1989 hit, "The Best", returned to the UK singles chart, peaking at No. 9, making her the first female artist to score top 40 hits in six consecutive decades.
In 2011, Beyond's second album Children – With Children United in Prayer charted again in Switzerland. Turner promoted the album by performing on TV shows in Germany and Switzerland.
In 2011, Tina Turner co-released "Children", the second album of spiritual music through projects with Beyond.
In 2012, "What's Love Got to Do with It" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In April 2013, at the age of 73, Tina Turner appeared on the cover of the German Vogue magazine, becoming the oldest person to be featured on the cover of Vogue.
In February 2014, Parlophone Records released a new compilation album titled Love Songs by Tina Turner.
In 2014, Tina Turner co-released "Love Within", album of spiritual music through projects with Beyond.
In December 2016, Tina Turner announced that she had been working on Tina, a musical based on her life story, in collaboration with Phyllida Lloyd and Stage Entertainment.
In 2017, Tina Turner co-released "Awakening", album of spiritual music through projects with Beyond.
In April 2018, Tina the musical opened at the Aldwych Theatre in London with Adrienne Warren in the lead role.
In October 2018, Tina Turner received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and her second memoir, My Love Story, was released.
In 2018, Tina Turner received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2018, the jukebox musical "Tina" debuted, dramatizing Tina Turner's life and career.
In 2019, Adrienne Warren reprised her role in Tina the musical on Broadway.
In 2020, Tina Turner came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It".
In 2020, Tina Turner released her third book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, co-written with Taro Gold and Regula Curti.
In October 2021, Tina Turner sold her music rights to BMG Rights Management for an estimated $50 million. Later that month, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
In 2021, Tina Turner appeared in the documentary film Tina directed by Dan Lindsay and T. J. Martin.
In 2021, Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
In 2021, a documentary film also named "Tina" about Tina Turner was released.
As of May 2023, Tina Turner had reportedly sold around 100 to 150 million records worldwide.
As of 2023, the Swiss Beyond Foundation, co-founded by Tina Turner, remains active and continues to facilitate musical collaborations worldwide.