In a day and age where terms like 'legend' and 'icon' are tossed and thrown about with abandon – assigned to everything from last night's house party to the latest viral internet sensation – it's rare to see the vocabulary used not just aptly, but perhaps even in such a way as to be called an understatement. Tina Turner was one such instance, a singer and performer dubbed the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Over a career that spanned more than 60 years in music, beginning in the 1950s, Turner simultaneously epitomised and pioneered the genres of R&B, soul and rock and roll. With her spiked blonde hair, cropped jean jackets, mini skirts and stiletto heels, Turner broke onto the early MTV scene to become something of an 80s phenomenon. The decade saw her land more than a dozen songs in the Top 40 charts, like Typical Male, The Best, Private Dancer and Better Be Good to Me. She would also go on to win six of her eight Grammy Award nominations during this time.
Born in the rural Tennessee township of Nutbush (yes, of that Nutbush City Limits fame), Turner would soon be collaborating with music royalty, from The Who to Phil Spector, and gracing the second ever issue of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967. She was the first woman to do so. While we mourn the loss of a true icon, a woman truly worthy of her legendary status and more, we wanted to take a look back at the life and times of Turner through looks, because if there was one facet of her on-stage performances that rivalled her vocal chops, it was her show-stopping sense of style. From sequinned mini dresses and sky-high boots, to leather corsets and of course that ever-recognisable mane, here are all our favourite moments from the career of a bonafide sensation.
