"I was always in love but we never slept together" revealed Tina Turner
Throughout more than five decades of her career and 83 years of life, Anna Mae Bullock –popularly known as Tina Turner– left nothing without living and, it could be said, that she died having covered the great spectrum of human experiences from end to end. tip: from success, recognition, and international fame to excesses, labor exploitation, and even a suicide attempt. However, within the broad anecdotally that her life was, there was a great love that she could not materialize and which she made public at the beginning of 2023, months before she died.
Tina Turner took the first steps of her career in 1959, in an environment where being a woman –especially a woman of African descent– were not characteristics that worked in her favor. However, through sheer talent and determination, she managed to carve out a space for herself in an industry predominantly dominated by men. And not only that, but it transcended the merely musical. In addition to her countless hits, she was also an accomplished actress, composer, dancer, and choreographer.
In her long years in the world of music and entertainment -she retired in 2013 when she decided it was time to leave the stage behind-, the bearer of the well-deserved title of "Queen of Rock" rubbed shoulders with other greats of the environment. Among them, is the also acclaimed Mick Jagger.
There were many times that they worked together, shared stages, and even starred in certain scenes full of chemistry that, for many, was a clear indication that there was more than just camaraderie between them. However, the two repeatedly remarked that they were friends and that they even considered each other family.
However, at the beginning of 2023 and already 83 years old, Tina Turner made a great revelation in a chat with the British media The Guardian. In the middle of a dynamic ping-pong of questions and answers, the interpreter admitted that she was always in love with the charismatic leader of The Rolling Stones.
“I was always in love with Mick Jagger. I loved it when we went on tour with the Rolling Stones, ”she revealed, not imagining the stir it would cause. And it is that, with that simple sentence, she confirmed the suspicion that invaded her fans for several years.
But why, if she was attracted to her friend and colleague, they never had a romantic relationship? Even though Tina herself did not specify the reason and Jagger himself also called himself silent, she always stated that she felt that both he and David Bowie were like her brothers. “I never slept with Jagger or Bowie, they were like the brothers I never had. We never sleep together, and they never tried anything with me because I think they saw me as some kind of role model, ”she recounted.
Also, on one occasion she revealed that she was responsible for the iconic dance steps of the voice behind Paint it Black. “He said that it was her mother who taught him to dance. But the girls and I work with him and we teach him, although she has never recognized me as the one who taught her to move, ”she asserted, laughing.
She is in Zurich, Switzerland, the country where she lived in her last years. "With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model," said a spokesperson for the artist.
Tina Turner died at the age of 83 on May 24, 2023. Hours after the painful news broke, Mick Jagger expressed his condolences through his Instagram profile. “I am saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was an extremely talented artist and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny, and generous. She helped me a lot when she was young and I will never forget her,” she wrote, along with a series of postcards capturing the years of friendship they shared.
