BILLY STEINBERG (1950 - 2026)

Billy Steinberg, the incredibly prolific songwriter who was behind many of the most popular songs throughout the 1980's and 1990's, has passed away on February 16th at the age of seventy-five. With his with longtime songwriting partner, Tom Kelly, together wrote or co-wrote with other artists the songs, "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls and "I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders to name just a few.

Born in Palm Springs and raised in Fresno, Steinberg formed a band called, Billy Thermal and they were signed to Richard Perry's Planet Records. The band's actual breakthrough came only when their songs that Steinberg wrote were covered by other artists like Linda Ronstadt who did her version of "How Do I Make You", the lead single form her 1980, "Mad Love" album and Pat Benatar recorded "I'm Gonna Follow You" for her 1980 album, "Crimes of Passion". After the band broke-up, Steinberg soon moved behind the scenes, working with Benatar the following year on her next album and writing the title track, "Precious Time" and teaming with Kelly to co-write another track, "Fire and Ice". This lead to Steinberg and Kelly being suggested to work with Madonna, a rising artist who was working on her follow-up album to her self-titled debut. "Like a Virgin" would be the lead single and title of that album, reaching number one in 1984 on the US pop chart for six weeks.

This helped this newly formed songwriting team become very in demand and other popular songs Steinberg and Kelly wrote include "Alone" (recorded by Heart), "Eternal Flame", "In My Room" (both co-written with Susanna Hoffs and recorded by the Bangles) and "I Drove All Night" (recorded by Cyndi Lauper, Roy Orbison and Celine Dion). By the mid-1990s, Kelly had lost enthusiasm for songwriting, leaving the business. But Steinberg continued on with his career, going on to co-write with other musicians including Rick Nowels, Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo and Josh Alexander.

TINA TURNER (1939 - 2023)

I'm very sad about the passing of Tina Turner, the pop music superstar who transcended all genres of music, excelling in them all. She passed away on May 24th at the age of eighty-three in her home near Zurich, Switzerland. Turner had been suffering from several health ailments in recent years which included intestinal cancer and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 with her long-time love and husband (they had been together since 1986), Erwin Bach being her donor.

I have written previously about her life, career and achievements so I would like to just express how much she meant to me as an performer and the impact she had as an artist. Tina Turner was one of my all-time favorite singers and while I loved her astounding musicality, I greatly admired her for being fearless, determined and a survivor. Turner managed to push through all of the abuse, obstacles and indignities that had come her way, which only ended up making her stronger and resilient. And what was truly amazing is that she never came across as bitter, always projecting positivity and a lightness of being.

You could always tell she loved being on stage, even during those times we were unaware she was having to endure the severe difficulties at the beginning of her career with her former husband, feeding off the energy of the music and the audiences, commanding every show with a fierce, singular style and always a broad, confident smile on her face.

As an African-American woman in music who found great success in expected ways yet managed to break through to become an unlikely, even more powerful force in rock & roll, Turner has left behind an important cultural legacy, displaying what could be accomplished through sheer determination and explosive talent. She was truly a dynamic force of nature, an entertainer that can not possibly be duplicated and will forever be missed.

Here are a few songs I loved from Turner that may not all be as well known as the big hits but should be celebrated.

2021 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The musical artists inducted in to this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be Foo Fighters, the Go-Go's, Jay-Z, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner. In order for a performer to be considered, at least twenty-five years must have passed since the musician’s first recordings were released, ensuring that their contribution to music has stood the test of time.

The induction ceremony will be held this year in-person on October 30th at Rocket Mortgage Field-House in Cleveland. The event will air on SiriusXM satelite radio and will be broadcast on HBO and HBO Max at a later date.

FOO FIGHTERS

After the tragic death of front man Kurt Cobain brought an end to the band, Nirvana in 1994, drummer Dave Grohl began a one-man project with him playing every instrument and performing all vocals during the recording of the tracks. He came up with the name "Foo Fighters" from a World War II term for "unidentified flying objects". Signing with Capitol Records, Grohl formed a band in order to go on tour to support the album with him now playing lead guitar and recruiting bassist, Nate Mendel, drummer William Goldsmith and Nirvana touring guitarist, Pat Smear joining as second guitarist. Now an official band, Foo Fighters began work together on a second album, "The Colour and the Shape" but during the recording, Grohl was unhappy with Goldsmith's work, replacing most of his drumming with Grohl's own. Not surprisingly, Goldsmith decided to leave the band with longtime touring drummer, Taylor Hawkins joining to replace him.

While tastes in genres have changed in popular music over the years, Foo Fighters have successfully kept the spirit of grunge-rock alive, recording ten albums with their latest, "Medicine at Midnight" released last February. And even though they also just released a side-project as Dee Gees with "Hail Satin", a five-song collection of their version of disco songs by Bee Gees and Andy Gibb, Foo Fighters are still all about rock & roll.



THE GO-GO'S

While the Go-Go's may be hailed as being the first all-female band who wrote their own material and played their own instruments to top the U.S. Billboard album chart (and it is quite noteworthy), they really should be remembered for being just a great rock band. And while I think it's shameful that it took this long for them to be inducted, I am glad this deserving group is finally part of the Hall. Rising from the L.A. punk scene in the late 1970's, the Go-Go's first came together with vocalist, Belinda Carlisle, guitarist, Jane Wiedlin, bassist, Margot Olavarria and Elissa Bello on drums. Charlotte Caffey joined later playing lead guitar and keyboards and Gina Schock replaced Bello on drums in 1978. After Olavarria had to drop out of the band due to illness (or forced out, depending on who you ask), Kathy Valentine would fill in as bass guitar. It was during this time that the Go-Go's began to move away from punk and shifted to a power pop-rock sound.

A British tour as an opening act for SKA bands, The Specials and Madness helped the Go-Go's gain a cult following and a demo of "We Got The Beat" first started circulating. The Go-Go's signed to I.R.S. Records in 1981 and their debut album, "Beauty and the Beat" topped the U.S. charts for six weeks, selling over two million copies. Their follow-up albums, "Vacation" in 1982 and "Talk Show" in 1984 were well received but certainly did not reach the same heights as their debut. But the pressures of fame, creative differences and an overindulgence in drugs by some members would cause the Go-Go's to disband in 1985. However, time tends to heal all wounds and The Go-Go's first reunited in 1990 for a benefit concert before recording new tracks for a retrospective album in 1994. The band has continued to tour over the years and recorded one more studio album in 2001, "God Bless the Go-Go's". And a documentary film, "The Go-Go's" about the history of the band was released last year, directed by Allison Ellwood.



JAY-Z

Born Shawn Carter in New York City, he became known known professionally as Jay-Z, bringing exciting and influential sounds to rap beginning in the 1990's. Carter had an interest in music at an early age, freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as "Jazzy" in his neighborhood, he would later take on the name, "Jay-Z" in honor of his mentor, Jaz-O, a local rapper in Brooklyn. Jay-Z worked hard trying to make his career in music happen but couldn't get a record deal, even selling homemade CDs out of his car until he formed his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke in 1995.

He released his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt" the following year with the popular record bringing him plenty of attention and critical acclaim. With a new distribution deal in place with Def Jam Records, Jay-Z would release a follow-up in 1997 with "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1." that was produced by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and became another million seller. His next album, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life" would become his biggest success with the hit singles, "Can I Get A...", "Nigga What, Nigga Who" and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" (which features the unexpected sample of "Hard Knock Life" from the Broadway musical, "Annie") helping the album sell over five million copies. He has become one of the world's best-selling music artists, selling over 125 million records and has won twenty-three career Grammy Awards. In addition to his remarkable achievement in music, Jay-Z realized that in order to gain even greater success, he should invest his wealth in other ventures. This lead him to creating a business empire that ranges from clothing lines, adult beverages, real estate, sport teams and media tech companies that has impressively made Jay-Z a billionaire.



CAROLE KING

Carole King began her career in music as a songwriter with then husband, Gerry Goffin as they wrote songs together at home following their day jobs. Their first hit was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (performed by the Shirelles) which reached number one on the U.S pop chart in 1960, allowing the couple to quit those day jobs. The New York-based team (with King composing the music and Goffin writing the lyrics) went on to write dozens of pop hits as one of the staff songwriters at the Brill Building which included "The Loco-Motion", "Up on the Roof", "I'm into Something Good", "One Fine Day", "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". The ending of her marriage to Goffin in 1968 and a move to Los Angeles lead King to begin writing and recording her own songs as an artist.

After being a part of a short-lived rock group and the commercial disappointment of her debut album, "Writer" in 1970, King broke through in a major way with her follow-up, "Tapestry". The album became an instant classic with new songs, "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move" and her versions of previous hits she had co-written, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". King would enjoy more success as a recording artist, live performer, film composer and a bit of acting. A musical based on King's life and career, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" opened on Broadway in 2013 and became a popular hit. Having already been inducted in to the Hall (along with Goffin) as a writer back in 1990, this amazing talent is finally being recognized for her outstanding work as a solo performer.



TODD RUNDGREN

The prolific musician, songwriter and producer, Todd Rundgren developed a great love of music, having been exposed to a wide range from a very early age. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he taught himself how to play the guitar and after he graduated from high school, joined a local blues rock band. But Rundgren left after several months to form his first rock band, Nazz in 1967. The band was signed to Atlantic Records and recorded three albums ("Nazz", "Nazz Nazz" and "Nazz III") with their most notable songs being the Rundgren composed, "Open My Eyes" and "Hello, It's Me" from their debut. But by 1969, Rundgren had outgrown this band, moving towards piano-driven material after being inspired by singer/songwriter, Laura Nyro, and Nazz came to an end.

Rundgren moved to New York, getting involved in the club scene in the village, and met producer, Albert Grossman who offered him a job as a recording engineer. The then-twenty-one year old impressed with his skills and worked his way in to some record production. Rundgren soon wanted to return to performing and recorded his debut solo album, "Runt" in 1970. His first charting song was "I Saw The Light" from his 1972 album, "Something/Anything?", reaching the top-twenty on the U.S. pop chart. But the biggest hit song in his solo career was the follow-up single; a new version of the Nazz tune, "Hello, It's Me" that made it to number five. Rundgren went on to start another band, Utopia in 1973 with the progressive rock group recording nine studio albums with their most high-profile songs included "Love is the Answer" (made popular as a cover by England Dan & John Ford Coley in 1979), "Set Me Free" and "The Very Last Time". In addition to his distinguished career as a musician, Rundgren had become a sought-after producer having worked on albums for Hall & Oates, New York Dolls, Cheap Trick, XTC, The Tubes and Grand Funk Railroad.



TINA TURNER

Previously inducted in 1991 with her former musical partner and husband, Ike Turner, Tina Turner is being honored for her work as a solo artist. Following the end of her well-documented, tumultuous marriage to Ike in 1976, Turner was left heavily in debt and essentially had to start over. She appeared on television shows, played conventions and Vegas to settle what was owed but Turner still had a dream; she wanted to be a rock & roll artist. She struggled with her recording career, releasing a couple of albums on United Artists Records which included a brief foray in to disco that failed to chart, but kept her name out there by touring extensively. In 1979, Roger Davies agreed to manage Turner's career after catching a performance and worked towards making her become seen as a viable musical artist instead of a nostalgia act.

First, she recorded covers of the Temptations' "Ball Of Confusion" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" that found great success in Europe. Based on this, Capitol Records decided to sign her, giving her only two weeks to record the album that would become "Private Dancer". The first single, "What's Love Got To Do With It" (a song Turner disliked but was talked in to recording) became her major breakthrough song, reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. "Private Dancer" would go on to sell over ten million copies across the globe and win Turner three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year. Turner continued to have great success as a recording artist and performer with many popular tours including her final one in 2009, "Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour". The singer retired from performing at the end of that tour, which was one of the highest-grossing of all time, bringing an extraordinary end to an incredible career.

NEW SOUNDS

TAYLOR SWIFT

While Taylor Swift had planned to spend the summer on a worldwide tour to promote her last album, "Lover" released last year, a nasty virus got in the way of her concert plans. With plenty of time on her hands (much like the rest of us), the singer spent the last few months creating new music and what came out of that is her eighth studio album, "Folklore". This collection does not feature the inflated, synth-pop production of her previous records. Yet it is also not a clear return to her early country music roots. 

The album offers something a little different; low-key and mature songs that look at our complicated, turbulent times that plays best to her strengths which is vivid songwriting. Swift uses classic folklore, which are stories that blur the lines between truth and fiction, to create songs that are far less self-referential than her music in the past. I must admit I've never been a huge fan of Swift's (more of an admirer) but I must say that I really enjoyed "Folklore" and think this is the thirty-year old superstar's strongest album to date. 

And clearly many others seem to agree. "Folklore" has broken streaming records with Swift having the biggest opening day for an album by a female artist on Spotify and the album has sold 1.3 million copies globally on its first day on July 24th. Swift has stated that the album "started with imagery" so the videos are just as important to express her ideas as the music for "Folklore". She even got behind the camera to direct the clip for the first single, "Cardigan".

KYLIE MINOGUE

After dipping her toes in to some down-home, country-pop with her last album, "Golden" in 2018, Kylie Minogue seems ready to get back to what she's best known for; dance-flavored, pop music. And the title of her upcoming fifteenth studio album says it all: "Disco". The fifty-two year old, down-under pop diva has just dropped the first single, "Say Something" and it is definitely a shimmering dance floor banger. The song (co-written by Minogue with Ash Howes and producers, Jonathan Green and Richard "Biff" Stannard) is about the never-ending quest for love and is just what we need to hear right now. Minogue worked on the album (due out on November 6th) while in quarantine and even learned how to record and engineer her vocals on her own using music software in order to help get the record completed.

And here are a few videos of new music I'm enjoying right now:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

John Prine, the Grammy Award-winning, Americana singer/songwriter sadly lost his battle against COVID-19 and passed away from complications on April 7th at the age of seventy-three. He was certainly a brave fighter, having previously battled against throat and lung cancer while also having heart issues. Prine received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Grammys after years of writing wonderful songs filled with humor and thoughtful insights on the human condition. I have to admit I had never heard any of Prine's recordings but I am familiar with his songs. Two of my favorites are Bonnie Raitt's 1974 cover of his "Angel From Montgomery", a song about a married, middle-aged woman looking for an "angel" to help her escape from a life of desolation. The other is "Hello In There", a heartbreaking tune about aging that Bette Midler recorded for her debut album back in 1972.





Here are a few unexpected pairings that provide some wild musical duets I found as I traveled down a YouTube rabbit hole that I would like to share:









And finally here is Finneas, the recent winner of the Grammy Award for Producer of The Year (for his work on his sister, Billie Eilish's album) who is showing off his skills as a performer. The single, "Let's Fall In Love For The Night", from his debut EP, "Blood Harmony" which was released last year, now has a music video that was recently released. This fun and whimsical clip perfectly enhances the song, giving off a vibe that makes it feel like it would fit right in place with the movie, "La La Land":

2020 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

"The Chronic", the debut solo album from rapper/producer and member of N.W.A., Dr Dre; a blues classic, "Me and My Chauffeur Blues" from guitarist, Memphis Minnie, Dusty Springfield's iconic soul album, "Dusty In Memphis", Whitney Houston's mesmerizing cover of Dolly Parton's song, "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, the original cast recording of the Broadway musical, "Fiddler On The Roof" and the disco-anthem-turned-wedding reception staple, "Y.M.C.A." by the Village People are some of this year's selections to be inducted in to the National Recording Registry.

The Recording Registry is an extension of the passage by Congress in 2000 of the National Recording Preservation Act. Each year the Library of Congress oversees the selection of 25 recordings, which must be at least 10 years old at the time of induction, and deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and this latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 550.

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered in to the 2020 Recording Registry:

"Whispering" (single) - Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (1920)
"Protesta per Sacco e Vanzetti" (singles) - Compagnia Columbia (1927)
"Sacco e Vanzetti" (single) - Raoul Romito (1927)
"La Chicharronera" - Narciso Martinez and Santiago Almeida (1936)
"Arch Oboler’s Plays" - episode from “The Bathysphere.” (November 18, 1939)
"Me and My Chauffeur Blues" (single) - Memphis Minnie (1941)



"The 1951 National League tiebreaker: New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers" — Russ Hodges, announcer (October 3, 1951)
Puccini’s "Tosca" (album) - Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Angelo Mercuriali, Tito Gobbi, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli and Victor de Sabata (1953)
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" (single) - Allan Sherman (1963)



"WGBH broadcast of the Boston Symphony on the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination" - Boston Symphony Orchestra (1963)
"Fiddler on the Roof" - original Broadway cast album (1964)
"Make the World Go Away" (single) - Eddy Arnold (1965)



"Hiromi Lorraine Sakata Collection of Afghan Traditional Music" - (1966-67; 1971-73)
"Wichita Lineman" (single) - Glen Campbell (1968)



"Dusty in Memphis" (album) - Dusty Springfield  (1969)



"Mister Rogers Sings 21 Favorite Songs From ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’" (album) - Fred Rogers (1973)
"Cheap Trick at Budokan" (album) - Cheap Trick (1978)
“"Holst: Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, Suite No. 2 in F / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Bach: Fantasia in G" - Frederick Fennell and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds (1978)
"Y.M.C.A." (single) - Village People (1978)



"A Feather on the Breath of God" - Gothic Voices; Christopher Page, conductor; Hildegard von Bingen, composer (1982)
"Private Dancer" (album) - Tina Turner (1984)



"Ven Conmigo" (album) - Selena (1990)
"The Chronic" (album) - Dr. Dre (1992)



"I Will Always Love You" (single) - Whitney Houston (1992)
"Concert in the Garden" (album) - Maria Schneider Orchestra (2004)
"Percussion Concerto" (album) - Colin Currie (2008)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA TURNER

It's hard to imagine but the one and only Queen of Rock & Soul, Tina Turner has just turned eighty years old. She had a birthday on November 26th and has been in the news lately due to the recent arrival to Broadway of the jukebox musical, "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" which covers her extraordinary life. While she has had a few health problems over the last few years, Turner made an appearance at the opening night of the show earlier this month and she looked absolutely fantastic.

If you are a fan, then you are well aware of her history; a teenage Anna Mae Bullock met Ike Turner, changed her name to "Tina" and together became one of the hottest r&b acts. She suffered many years of emotional and physical abuse from Ike before finally breaking free. Heavily in debt, she had to start over. But after working hard, Turner would go on to become an even bigger star, selling millions of records across the globe.

In honor of this true legend and to celebrate all that is Tina, here are a few of my favorite musical highlights from this iconic performer (including a fan-made clip featuring an overview of Turner's amazing career) :

TAKE TWO: TOM JONES

With his big, booming voice, dazzling showmanship and confident swagger, it's no surprise that Tom Jones became not only one of the biggest pop acts of the '60's and '70's but also a major sex symbol. He's the one that inspired hundreds of women to throw their underwear on stage.  Sure, it may be hard to take Jones seriously after he developed his over-the-top, lounge lizard act but there is no denying his dynamic power as a singer or the deep emotion he poured in to a song.

Thomas Jones Woodward was born in 1940 and raised in Glamorgan, South Wales. As a child, he loved to sing and performed wherever he could; family gatherings, school choir and weddings. Woodward developed his own singing style by listening to his favorite American soul and blues artists. In 1957, he married his high-school sweetheart, Melinda Trenchard after they found themselves in the family way and had a son, Mark. Having to put his musical aspirations on hold to help raise his new family, Woodward worked a number of odd jobs.

A few years later, Woodward returned to music by joining a local band, Tommy Scott and the Senators as the lead vocalist. He played with them for a while before being discovered by Gordon Mills, a manager. He decided to have Woodward change his name to "Tom Jones" due to the popularity of the Oscar-winning 1963 film and got him signed to Decca Records. His first single, "Chills and Fever" failed to generate much interest but the follow-up, "It's Not Unusual" made Jones a pop star overnight. The song hit number one in Britain and the top ten in the U.S. in 1965. Jones followed that up with two popular theme songs to movies, "What's New Pussycat?" and the James Bond film, "Thunderball". Jones would take home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1966.

Mills decided to capitalize on Jones' popularity and got him to perform in Las Vegas in 1967. With the help of half-unbuttoned shirts and very tight pants, Jones caught the frenzied attention of women and became one of the top headling acts in Vegas for many years. Mills also got Jones on television and he hosted a variety show, "This Is Tom Jones" from 1969 to 1971.

By the mid-1970's, Jones was no longer in-demand as a performer but found some success in the 1980's when he began recording country music and had nine songs hit the U.S. Country Top 40. After Gordon Mills passed away in 1986, Jones' son, Mark took over as his manager. He went to work revitalizing his father's career and got him to team-up with avant-garde electronic band, Art of Noise with a remake of Prince's "Kiss" in 1988. This song not only brought Jones back to the pop charts but found him a new generation of fans.

Tom Jones is still quite active at the age of seventy-five recording and touring. He has sold over one hundred million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. Despite his over fifty years of marriage to Melinda, Jones has made no secret of his numerous affairs. In fact, he claims to have bedded at least two-hundred and fifty groupies during the height of his career. Here are two of my favorite songs by Mr. Tom Jones:

"It's Not Unusual" - Tom Jones (1965) mp3

"If He Should Ever Leave You" - Tom Jones (2008) mp3

This bonus video features two of the sexiest people alive; Mr. Jones and Miss Tina Turner performing a sizzling duet of "Hot Legs":

FOCUS ON: TINA TURNER

I remember watching Tina Turner make her highly anticipated comeback performance on the 1985 Grammy Awards telecast. During the musical break in the song, she simply started strutting across the stage and the audience broke out in wild applause. This tiny, simple act showed how much power she has to captivate audiences.

I was familiar with her long before this appearance. I remember her most vividly shaking her thang on the "Cher" show and her performing with Ike, doing "Proud Mary" on the late night show, "Midnight Special" (yes, I'm dating myself) in the way that only they could do that song. I always loved her look and just simply watching her be TINA.

She is known as the Queen of Rock & Roll and she has truly earned that title. She gives her all in every performance and you can feel it when you see her work her magic on stage.

To say that Tina Turner is unique is putting it much too mildly. She is a fiery, sexy presence that effortlessly commands whatever stage she is on. There is absolutely no one else like her; in the way she uses that voice with either a sensual purr or a raspy growl or in her skimpy and suggestive stage costumes that on anyone else would probably just be too much or in the unparalleled way she moves that body as an extension of expressing her music, it is all in one woman who will never, ever be duplicated.

Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee, which she would later write a song, "Nutbush City Limits", that was about life in that small town. Anna Mae and her sister, Ruby grew up with their grandmother after their parents split up. Ruby later went to live with her mother in St.Louis while Anna Mae stayed in Nutbush. After her grandmother's death, Anna Mae moved to St. Louis at the age of sixteen.

One night, Ruby took Anna Mae to a club where musician Ike Turner was performing. Anna Mae talked Ike into listening to her sing and he was impressed enough to have her as an occasional vocalist in his soul revue.

During a recording session in 1960, a singer didn't show up, so Anna Mae filled in and recorded the song, "A Fool In Love" which hit number two on the r&b charts and crossing over to the top thirty on the pop charts. Ike changed Anna Mae's name to Tina, they married in Mexico and the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was born.

Although they continued to occasionally have songs hit the charts (The group's cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's song, "Proud Mary" was their biggest hit in 1971 and also won the group their only Grammy), Ike & Tina Turner became best known for their wild and energetic stage shows. They added three female singers/ dancers and called them The Ikettes who, along with Tina, created sexy dance routines that enlivened their performances.

Ike managed the act and controlled all of the decisions on recording contracts and performances but as his drug addiction and erratic behaviour grew worse, the band suffered. This caused musicians and back-up singers to come and go quite frequently.

Tina was verbally and physically abused by Ike throughout most of their marriage. After sixteen years of this, in 1976, she had finally had enough. Ike and Tina had a violent argument before a concert in Dallas and Tina left him with nothing more than thirty-six cents and a gas credit card. She hid out with various friends while Ike tried to locate her.

By walking out in the middle of a tour, Tina learned that she was legally responsible to tour promoters for the cancelled shows. So, Tina became a solo performer and made numerous television appearances and performed at conventions to supplement her income.

Tina wanted to re-start her recording career on her terms so in 1978, Tina released her third solo album, "Rough". The album had a more rock & roll sound which was the direction she wanted her music to move towards. The record did not do well nor did a follow-up disco album, "Love Explosion" in 1979. Tina was only able to tour small stages in the U.S.but in Europe, where she was still popular, she was able to sell out major venues.

In 1983, she put out a single, which was a remake of the Al Green soul classic, "Let's Stay Together (Single Version)". The song went to number six in the U.K. and charted throughout the rest of Europe.Despite this success, her record label, Capitol, was still not interested in giving her a full record deal and had no intention of releasing the song in the U.S. Capitol only relented because Americans were snapping up the imported version of the record. The song only reached number thirty-six on the U.S. pop charts but went to number three on the r&b.

This was enough for Capitol to finally allow Tina to complete a full album and in 1984, the next single off of it, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" was released. Although it got off to a slow start, it ultimately became a world wide smash hit. At the age of forty-four, Tina Turner had her first number one record in the United States. The album, "Private Dancer" was quickly released and sold over eleven million copies world wide. It would go on to win four Grammy Awards including Record of The Year for her comeback song.

Tina was back where she belonged and she has achieved much success. She released four more popular albums and had many hit singles along the way. Her live performances was always her strength and she had many successful world tours that broke concert ticket sales records, including her last one in 2009 which was a celebration of her fifty years in show business. She gave dazzling acting performances in the films, "Tommy" (1975) and "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" (1985). She wrote her autobiography, "I, Tina" with MTV's news correspondent, Kurt Loder in 1986 that explored her career and revealed her abusive relationship with Ike. The book was adapted into a celebrated film in 1993 called, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" that starred Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, who both received Oscar nominations for their fantastic performances.

Tina Turner was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, she received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2005 and she has sold over one hundred and eighty million records worldwide during her career.

Tina has one son, Craig with Raymond Hill, a saxophonist with Ike's band and later, another son, Ronnie which she had with Ike during their marriage. Tina also raised two of Ike's sons from previous relationships, Ike, Jr. and Michael.

Tina met German record executive, Erwin Bach at London's Heathrow Airport in 1985 and they have been together as a couple ever since.

Here are a couple of my favorite Ike &Tina songs:

"A Fool In Love" - Ike & Tina Turner 

"Sexy Ida Part 1" - Ike & Tina Turner

This is a classic performance of Ike & Tina doing "Proud Mary":





This is Ms Turner on her own:

"I Might Have Been Queen" - Tina Turner 

"Typical Male" - Tina Turner

"Better Be Good To Me" - Tina Turner

And here is the video for her slow burn version of "Let's Stay Together":



Here is a bonus of Tina rocking out on a song that was the B-side of her single of "Let's Stay Together":

"I Wrote A Letter" - Tina Turner