"Tina Turner, the 'Queen of Rock'n Roll' has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. Video / Getty
Tina Turner will be laid to rest at a private funeral.
Despite having legions of fans worldwide and being hero-worshipped in her adopted country of Switzerland, the ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ hitmaker’s final farewell is set to be a small affair for only family and friends.
A spokesperson for the icon – dubbed the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll – confirmed to The Sun: “There will be a private funeral ceremony attended by close friends and family.”
Photo of Ike & Tina Turner 1970, Collection Gilles PTtard (Photo by Gilles Petard/Redferns)
Tina, whose death was announced last week was said on Thursday by her team to have died from “natural causes”, but more specifics weren’t given.
Her decades of health woes included a stroke, PTSD from her abusive marriage to her former music partner Ike Turner, as well as long-standing kidney issues that led to her husband Erwin Bach, 67, donating one of his kidneys to her to save her life in 2017, and one of her representatives said on Wednesday she had suffered a “long illness”.
Tina’s private funeral will mean the flood of fans who have gathered outside her $76 million home in Switzerland won’t be attending.
The large crowd is still growing, with her devotees leaving candles, flowers and messages around the 10-building waterfront estate in the municipality of Staefa, on the northern shores of Lake Zurich, where Tina died.
Tennessee-born Tina – real name Anna Mae Bullock – gave up her US citizenship 10 years ago to become Swiss, moving there in 2013 three months after marrying Erwin.
Among the army of famous faces paying tribute to Tina was Switzerland’s president Alain Berset.
The 51-year-old tweeted: “With Tina Turner’s death, the world has lost an icon.”My thoughts are with the family of this impressive woman who found a second home in Switzerland.”The municipality of Kusnacht issued a statement saying: “Tina Turner inspired people all over the world with her unique voice and touched many Kusnacht residents with her warmth and modesty.”
