MINNEAPOLIS — With hits like "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got To Do With It," Tina Turner always sustained a special love for her favorite, "The Best."
"It's very special because at the time when I got it, no one believed in it but me," she said in an interview with CNN.
That belief in herself eventually led the singer to be crowned the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, further cementing her legacy as an international icon.
Born as Anna Mae Bullock in small-town Tennessee, Turner relocated to St. Louis, Missouri as a teen where she met rocker Ike Turner.
"Ike was very good to me when I first started my career," she said. "Started to sing weekends with him and we were really close friends."
The two married in 1962 and recorded several chart-topping hits before Ike's drug use led to physical and emotional abuse.
"Houses burned, cars shot into — the lowest you could think of in terms of violence," said Turner.
But even that wasn't enough to keep the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame star from rising from the ashes, returning to the scene in the 80s with hits like "Private Dancer."
Through the span of her career, Turner made several stops in the Twin Cities, landing her a star outside First Avenue after an appearance in 1982.
Her musical ties to the cities run deep for Gary Hines, music director of Minnesota's Grammy Award-winning group Sounds of Blackness.
The group got to perform during an Essence Awards tribute to the star in 1993.
"We got a chance to meet and speak with her backstage and it was such an honor," recalled Hines.
A memory that has stuck with him since.
"I'll never forget what she said to me; she said, 'Sounds of Blackness,' she said, 'I love that name. What you're doing is so important — carry that name with pride,' and I'll never forget that," said Hines.
It's a story Hines will never forget about a star who will never be forgotten.
"Her legacy is one again of spirituality, of humanity, of artistry and of course, musical legacy all the way from Nutbush and to around the world, influencing so many artists even to today," said Hines.
A spokesperson for Turner says she died peacefully Wednesday at her home in Switzerland following a long illness. She was 83.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: