Tina Turners Complicated Relationship With Her Biopic and Biggest Hit

Publish date: 2024-07-27

On May 25, the world lost a powerhouse of an artist, Tina Turner. Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock, was more than an artist; she was an icon. This writer's mother was once a limo driver who drove Tina Turner to a concert in the '90s, but not just Turner, because Turner required two limos: one for herself and one for her costumes and wigs because that is the kind of star she was. Turner was a musician who would come to stand for women's ingenuity and strength, and to say we lost one of the greats is an understatement. We lost a queen, but not in how Gen Z or Millennials say "queen;" we lost the undisputed Queen of Rock n Roll.

Tina Turner and Her Mega-Hit Song

However, one of Turner's greatest hits that would be synonymous with her name alone almost didn't happen.

"Did you know that when I first read the lyrics for 'What's Love Got to Do With It,' I rejected the song? Crazy to think about that now," Turner recalled in a 2021 post on Instagram. That same year, during her HBO documentary, TINA, Turner revealed that she had initially thought the song was "terrible" and off-brand because it was more poppy than her usual rock n roll or R&B.

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At the time, she had already had an entire career with classics like the Grammy Award-winning "Proud Mary." Her brand and name were everything because she had already established a signature stage presence that was organic and sexy and rooted in rock 'n roll and R&B. Still, taking the chance on "What's Love" turned her career and launched a professional direction that turned away from her ex-husband, Ike Turner, and the domestic abuse that accompanied her past.

The Real Story Behind 'What's Love Got To Do With It?'

Ike and Tina's marriage was riddled with abuse. The two met in 1957 and married in 1962. In 1976, after being married for several years and performing together as the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, she finally saw her way out. As the divorce proceeded, Ike Turner refused to budge. He believed he made her a star and wanted everything; he even owned the rights to her name. To make matters worse, a planned tour fell through, and Tina Turner struggled to make ends meet by performing on game shows or anywhere she could. In the end, Turner made the controversial decision to let Ike have everything but her professional name. The divorce was finalized in 1978, and Turner had nothing left but the professional title "Tina Turner." Literally.

In an interview with Oprah, she would later admit that she was creating an image during the 1980s, making herself pretty because she didn't feel that way then. The final words in Turner's aforementioned Instagram post about "What's Love" is as stated: "Hearing the song in the documentary TINA was one of the most touching moments for me in the movie. It reminded me how far I've come."

"What's Love Got To Do With It?" would go on to inspire the title of a film about Turner's life.

'What's Love Got To Do With It?': The Story of Tina Turner's Life

Turner's 1993 biopic, congruently titled What's Love Got To Do With It, starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett as Ike and Tina, was also a point of contention for Turner. What's Love was based on Turner's autobiography I Tina, My Life Story, but in the same 2018 interview with Oprah, Turner expressed that much of what the film depicts was not how things were. She had only watched some of it back then because she felt that too much had been changed. In her words, the musical Tina: The Tina Turner Musical was a more accurate depiction of events.

In an article with Vanity Fair, Turner explained that she didn't like talking about the domestic abuse that occurred in she and Ike's relationship, nor did she like being portrayed as a victim.

"Okay so if I was a victim, fine," she said. "Maybe I was a victim for a short while. But give me credit for thinking the whole time I was there. See, I do have pride."

Despite this, Turner would praise Bassett's portrayal of her. One month ago, Bassett was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Turner wrote the passage accompanying Bassett's inclusion, where she revealed that she felt skeptical in regard to the film until she saw Bassett.

"Angela, the first time we met, you didn't look, sound, or move like me — hat came later after you worked so hard to make it happen. But even then, I could see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination, and big, big dreams, just like me," Turner said in the passage.

She would go on to say that Bassett honored every role she embodied. "'She's perfect,' I said, and I was right. You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world. That's your gift, becoming your character with conviction, truth, dignity, and grace, even when it's painful, and takes everything you have and more. It's not just acting, it's being."

In a world where bad things happen every day, and hard times are just the times, real people who persevere through those moments to come out the other end shining are more than iconic; they are inspirational. Turner was not just someone whose music will live through the ages; she was somehow to look up to when life is hard and rough days seem like they'll never end. She made a name on her own and overcame impossibly hard times to emerge victorious.

With the story of "What's Love Got to do With It" and Turner's life in general, the world can remember that sometimes, taking a chance is often the best thing for you, professionally or not, and to keep pushing, even when you have nothing left.

Long live the Queen; we will miss you Tina Turner.

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