Simply the Best Left Simply the Rest of Us

Tina Turner died on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83, in Küsnacht, Switzerland, where she had lived quietly for years, having long since transcended the entertainment industry that had tried to define her. The obituaries all told the same story, because the story was that good: survived an abusive marriage to Ike Turner, rebuilt her career from scratch at an age when the industry considered women finished, released Private Dancer at 44, and became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. "What's Love Got to Do with It" wasn't just a hit — it was a thesis statement. She didn't just come back. She came back bigger, stronger, and more herself than she'd ever been allowed to be. Turner sold more concert tickets than any solo performer in history. She filled stadiums into her sixties with an energy that made performers half her age look sedentary. When she retired, she retired on her own terms, to a castle in Switzerland, with a view of the lake. Simply the best, indeed.