Tina Turner passed away today at the age of 83 in Villa Algonquin, his residence in Switzerland, after enduring several ilnesses, among them an intestinal cancer who has been affecting her since 2016. While James Bond fans will always remember her for performing the main title song for GOLDENEYE, the truth is that she needs no introduction.
Anna Mae Bullock was born in Brownsville, Tennesse, on November 26, 1939. Her career as a singer began in 1957 with the band of her husband, Ike Turner, Kings of Rhythm. They later formed the band Ike & Tina Turner in 1960. In 1984, her album PRIVATE DANCER became a worldwide success which would last well into the 1980s and 1990s with four Grammy Awards. Her big screen appaerances included the 1975 musical TOMMY, the action film MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985) and she had a cameo role in the 1993 film LAST ACTION HERO, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1995, when Bono and The Edge had written the lyrics for the GOLDENEYE main title song, they have sent a demo to Turner (performed by Bono) proposing her to lend her voice to Pierce Brosnan's 007 debut. She initially rejected, not being happy with the demo. However, the U2 members soon convinced her and everything changed when she came to the microphone. While GOLDENEYE's soundtrack by Eric Serra isn't generally praised by the fans, the Bassey-esque, seductive and energic performance of Turner confirmed that EON was on the right track with every aspect of their seventeenth Bond adventure. Released on November 7 by EMI Parlophone, the theme became a top five hit across Europe and came at number 10 in the United Kingdom.
Upon hearing the news of her passing, Pierce Brosnan used Instagram to express his condolences: "Farewell to an icon, rock-goddess and legend. Proud to stand beside the extraordinary Tina Turner at of the premier of Goldeneye, Leicester Square, London November 1995. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans. RIP."
Turner made her last tour in 2008 to celebrate her 50th anniversary as a singer. This tour included the GOLDENEYE main title song mixed with a "James Bond Theme" tango routine. She initially retired in 2013, but then came out of her retirement to work in a musical based on her life in 2018.
From this space, we also express our condolences to her family, friends and fans, and we will rise a smile whenever we listen to her voice over Daniel Kleinman's sublime main titles.
Rest in peace, Tina.