Tina Turner was known as ‘the Queen of Rock ‘N Roll’ but many fans think that the latest tribute to her will have her rolling in her grave.
The music icon – who passed away aged 83 in May 2023 – was the subject of a newly erected statue in her hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee which has left many furious.
The 10-foot-tall bronze sculpture was designed by sculptor Fred Ajanogha as it depicted the legend singing and dancing in a mini dress and was unveiled as part of the town’s annual Tina Turner Heritage Days.
Huffington Post deputy editor and social media personality Philip Lewis posted the controversial statue on X (formally Twitter) and many expressed their dismay.
One referenced her iconic 1989 track The Best by commenting: ‘That statue is Simply the Worst.’
Another hilariously posted: ‘This ain’t Tina Turner this Temu Turner.’
Tina Turner (pictured in December 1977) was known as ‘the Queen of Rock ‘N Roll’ but many fans think that the latest tribute to her will have her rolling in her grave
The music icon – who passed away aged 83 in May 2023 – was the subject of a newly erected statue in her hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee which has left many furious
The aforementioned sculptor Ajanogha previously told ABC News that his goal was to capture Turner’s powerful presence as he likened her hair to the ‘mane of a lion.’
Back in May 2023, Turner’s death was announced just six weeks after she revealed how she wanted to be remembered as she said: ‘As the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’.
The legendary singer died at her home in Küsnach near Zurich, Switzerland, following a long, unspecified illness.
Her representatives announced the news at the time, saying: ‘With her the world loses a music legend and role model.’
On April 9, 2023 in what are believed to be her final public remarks, she told The Guardian how she hoped the world would remember her – and how she did not fear death.
‘How would you like to be remembered?’ the Guardian asked.
‘As the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. As a woman who showed other women that it is OK to strive for success on their own terms.’
Asked what frightens her about getting older, she replied: ‘Nothing. This is life’s full adventure and I embrace and accept every day with what it brings.’
The 10-foot-tall bronze sculpture was designed by sculptor Fred Ajanogha as it depicted the legend singing and dancing in a mini dress
Many fans expressed their fury over the statue with one even referencing her iconic 1989 track The Best by commenting: ‘That statue is Simply the Worst’
It was unveiled as part of the town’s annual Tina Turner Heritage Days
Turner is pictured performing in Los Angeles back in February 1985
Sharp as ever, Turner joked about whether she’d like more sex, money or fame – ‘at my age, is there another option?’ and told how she was enjoying ‘anonymity in retirement’.
Turner is survived by two of her four sons – two preceded her in death – and her 69-year-old husband, Erwin Bach.
The pair married in 2013 after dating for nearly 30 years.
Born Anna-Mae Bullock in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, to Zelma and Floyd Bullock, Turner overcame a turbulent childhood and abusive marriage to become a musical sensation and legendary performer.
In her early 20s, she found fame with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, a live act with her former husband.
Behind their veneer of success and marital bliss, she endured brutal abuse throughout the marriage. They divorced in 1978.
Turner, determined to succeed on her own and with four sons to raise, stunned fans and the media by speaking publicly about the abuse.
Tina Turner died at home at the age of 83 after a long illness back in May 2023. She is shown in 2019 on the opening night of the Tina Turner Musical in New York City
In an interview six weeks before her passing, Turner (pictured in November 1996) said she wanted to be remembered as ‘the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’
Turner is survived by her husband, 69-year-old Erwin Bach, and two adult sons
Turner with Mick Jagger during the 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia. It was an iconic performance with palpable chemistry. Turner toured with the Rolling Stones in the late 60s. In her final interview just last month, Turner admitted that she ‘always had a crush’ on him
‘I wanted to stop people from thinking that Ike & Tina was so positive, that we were such a great team,’ Turner explained in an eponymous documentary.
By the early 80s, she was a musical powerhouse in her own right, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s most revered rock stars.
Electrifying performances with Mick Jagger and David Bowie set her success on fire and she was quickly celebrated with awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Throughout her career, Turner won eight Grammy’s from 25 nominations and three lifetime Grammy Awards. Her final stadium concert was in Sheffield, England, in 2009.
