Dec 14

Tina Turner

Greatly Appreciated

TINA TURNER
 
 
Tina Turner  (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is a singer, dancer, actress, and author, whose career has spanned more than half a century, earning her widespread recognition and numerous awards.  Her introduction to the public as Tina Turner began in 1960 as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.  Success followed with a string of notable hits credited to the duo, including “Nutbush City Limits” (1973), a song which she herself wrote.  Turner has also experienced success in films, including a role in the 1975 rock musical Tommy and a starring role in the 1985 blockbuster film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  One of the world’s most popular entertainers, Turner has been termed the most successful female rock artist, winning eight Grammy Awards and selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history.  Her combined album and single sales total approximately 100 million copies worldwide.  She is noted for her energetic stage presence, powerful vocals, and career longevity.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
The newest member of Trillion, CJ Vanston has also performed on the last two albums by Steve Lukather of Toto and the recent tour by Tears For Fears, as well as a remarkably varied list of other artists like Joe Cocker, Ringo Starr, Bob Seger, Prince, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, Richard Marx, Celine Dion, and ’NSync.  
 
(October 2012)
 
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In 1998, an organization called Native American Music Association & Awards was started in order to bring awareness of the contributions of Native Americans to music in all its forms; the Awards have been presented annually since that time.  The surprise at taking even a quick glance at their “Did You Know” roster at www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/halloffame.cfm is the incredible number of stars of popular music who have Native American blood – the tribe or confederation name(s) are given in parentheses here and elsewhere in this post:  Elvis Presley (Cherokee), Jimi Hendrix (Cherokee), Hank Williams (Choctaw), Willie Nelson (Cherokee), Ritchie Valens (Yakui), Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers (Choctaw/Cherokee), Loretta Lynn and her sister Crystal Gayle (Cherokee), Kitty Wells (Cherokee), Wayne Newton (Powhatan), Michael Jackson and the Jacksons (Choctaw/Cherokee), Link Wray (Shawnee), Richie Havens (Blackfoot), Robbie Robertson of the Band (Mohawk), Tina Turner (Navaho), Cher (Cherokee), Rita Coolidge (Cherokee), Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen (Native Hawaiian – Native Americans who are not among those often called Indians), Tori Amos (Cherokee), Toni Tennille of the Captain and Tennille (Cherokee), Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus (Cherokee), Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers (Mohican), LL Cool J (Cherokee), Beyoncé (Creole), etc.  

 

Tommy Allsup (Cherokee) was a member of Buddy Holly’s new band in 1959; he “lost” a coin flip with Ritchie Valens and was thus not on board the airplane that crashed on the day the music died.   

 

(August 2013)

 
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Bobby Brown, Don’t be Cruel – When we went to see Tina Turner not long after her hit solo album, Private Dancer came out, someone was giving away a poster as we were leaving that had Tina on one side and New Edition, the opening act on the other side.  Anyone who hung onto that poster had quite a collectible I imagine, because New Edition became one of the leading teen pop musical groups not long after that, as well as a template for numerous other groups that have come along since that time – black and white, male and female.  Bobby Brown was the lead singer of New Edition, and the remaining members also had success in their later incarnation as Bell Biv DeVoe.  Now infamous as the troubled husband of Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown deserves to be known as a fine performer as well, and a leader in the musical scene called new jack swing that his earlier band New Edition had pioneered.  Don’t be Cruel (1988) includes the powerful hit single that I still hear on the radio a lot, “My Prerogative”; Allmusic gives the album a 5 star rating. 
 
(December 2015)
 
Last edited: April 3, 2021