ST. LOUIS–Tina Turner’s path to becoming the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll” got its musical start in St. Louis.
Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee in 1939 and moved to St. Louis when she was 16. Turner grew up in the Ville neighborhood and graduated from Sumner High School in 1958.
According to the Missouri Historical Society, Bullock grabbed a microphone during the intermission of one of Ike Turner’s shows in 1957, and after that he began featuring her at local clubs.
However, Bullock’s big break came when a singer didn’t show up during a recording session for “A Fool in Love,” according to the Missouri Historical Society. Turner asked Bullock to sing. A St. Louis disc jockey heard the recording and convinced Turner he had a hit.
“A Fool in Love” became a hit in 1960 and they became the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, according to the St. Louis Walk of Fame website.
The two had a 20-year relationship that left Bullock physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined. She went on to become a superstar on her own in her 40s and remained a top concert draw for years after.
Turner earned a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1991, the same year she and her former husband were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans stopped by her star on the Delmar Loop to leave flowers and pay tribute to the legend.
“We lost a badass,” St. Louis resident Mollie McGeehon said. She and her friend Jeanne Braddock paid tribute by laying roses on Tina Turner’s star on St. Louis Walk of Fame Wednesday afternoon.
McGeehon said Turner was influential in her life both having survived domestic abuse. Braddock recalled a time when she and her mother attended a Tina Turner concert that was memorable.
Her life has been turned into a film, an HBO documentary and a Broadway musical called TINA- The Tina Turner Musical, which is currently touring with a stop planned at St. Louis’ Fox Theatre in November 2023.
Turner was featured in the recent “St. Louis Sound” exhibit at the Missouri Historical Museum. It contained clothing and artifacts from her time in St. Louis.
The Missouri History Museum Tweeted Wednesday afternoon that it was mourning the passing of the St. Louis legend and will showcase seven of its favorites, including the first recording ever made by the singer.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a statement on Turner's passing:
"Long before there was Beyoncé, there was Tina. From Sumner High School to Club Imperial to sold-out concerts across the globe, Tina Turner’s undeniable voice and talent brought people together. Tina was musical royalty, a trailblazer, and a force to be reckoned with - no matter the odds or obstacles in her way. She cemented St. Louis’ place in rock and roll history, and we cherish her legacy."
Jones continued, "We pray for her loved ones and admirers while celebrating everything the Queen of Rock and Roll has done to shape our city and the music industry as we know it today."
The St. Louis Public School released a statement about Turne’s passing saying, “She is a legend and an icon. It brings pride to all of us at SLPS who get to claim her as ‘one of ours.’ While most of us never had the opportunity to meet her, we all feel as if we know her a little bit. Her music has been a soundtrack for our lives.”
