CLEVELAND — The “birthplace of rock and roll” is remembering one of the industry’s most iconic voices.
Items representing the life and career of Tina Turner are now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The legendary singer and two-time Rock Hall inductee died May 24 at her home in Switzerland after a long illness. She was 83.
Turner’s powerful voice recorded songs forming the soundtrack of a generation, but Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Director of Guest Experience John Goehrke said it’s the combination of those powerhouse vocals with a dynamic performance on stage that set her apart.
“It’s the reason she’s one of those queens of rock and roll,” he said.
Known for her dancing and dazzling stage outfits, Goehrke said Turner inspired numerous current artists like Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
A sparkling Versace dress from Turner’s 1996 Wildest Dreams tour is now on display in the memoriam wing of the Rock Hall, alongside items from other inductees who’ve recently passed.
Her name is permanently etched in the walls of the Rock Hall twice. Her first induction was in 1991.
“That’s for her great work alongside Ike Turner,” Goehrke said. “That produces songs like, ‘Proud Mary,’ ‘River Deep, Mountain High.’”
But for her second induction in 2021, she made a mark on her own and received recognition for her solo career.
“When she hit number one for ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It,’ she was the oldest female performer to ever top the charts,” Goehrke said.
Turner was also the second woman to be inducted into the Rock Hall twice, after Stevie Nicks.
“If they’re still giving me awards at 81, I must’ve done something right,” Turner said during a recorded acceptance speech that played during the 2021 induction ceremony. Goehrke said it was one of her last public appearances.
And it’s safe to say by the longevity of her career, Tina Turner did a lot of things right.
Her resilience and perseverance in making it to superstardom with a solo career after enduring an abusive relationship with ex-husband Ike Turner was an inspiration to and like Marie Doerrbecker.
“That she was able to pull herself together and rise out of the ashes, so to speak,” Doerrbecker said. “And to continue bringing such joy to the world for so long.”
Turner shared her gift of song since the late 1950s and performed for audiences live into the 2000s.
A dress from a 1990 tour is also on display in the museum’s Legends of Rock exhibit. Goehrke said Turner poured her passion into her live performances.
“Tina is among that small group that no matter where you are, if you’re in the arena, you’re feeling the magic,” he said. “You feel connected to her in that moment.”
Having the support of fans meant the world to the music legend.
“Even when she was starting to think about, ‘Is it time to hang it up? Is it time to hang it up?’” Goehrke said. “And her fans would literally give her the motivation to get back out there one more time.”
And now fans are visiting the Rock Hall to pay their respects.
“These are small ways we can remember her, but the biggest way is to continue to tell her story,” he said.
