It doesn't get any bigger than Tina Turner. She was a powerhouse, a singer, a dancer and a legend worldwide.
Her iconic career began when she toured with her husband Ike in the 1960s and 70s. The couple became uber famous but their marriage collapsed.
Turner would later re-invent herself and achieve super stardom in the 1980s as a solo performer.
“Being one of the first really big Black female stars in the Rock and Roll genre she kind of paved paths for a lot of people and served as an inspiration for people who are close to me and my life,” said Berklee College of Music student Richard High.
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While it’s been some 15 years since she retired from the stage, she’s still inspiring young musicians to this day, including at the Berklee College of Music where students look to legends to learn.
“She’s a diva in her own right,” said Berklee student Nuala Imrie. “Any performance you see she’s just in control of what she’s doing. She’s a master of her craft.”
“I remember watching one of her shows and being like mesmerized by her, just like her performance, her stage presence,” said Matheus Borin, who’s studying performance at Berklee.
“As a woman I’m astonished by what she could do on stage no matter the age,” said Professor Paola Munda, a voice instructor at Berklee. “She was just unapologetically a force of nature, and a woman that didn’t let anybody stop her from becoming a queen.”
“She just paired movement with music so well, she was a great dancer as she was a singer, and she just looked so authentic,” said Zeek Umansky, who is studying songwriting.
Turner, who had been living in Switzerland for the last two decades, died at the age of 83 after what her publicist said was a long illness. Her funeral will be private.
“Rest in peace Tina," High said. "I will definitely be listening to her more. I feel it’s the best way I can pay respects."
