Tina Turner and Ike Turner were a dynamic duo on stage and in real life. However, the songstress never enjoyed marital bliss until she met her second spouse, who was “so different” and blessed her with the “gift of life.”
Tina Turner, aka the “Queen of Rock and Roll,” was a sensational singer who rose to fame in the 1950s. As a beautiful young singer, she matched her energy with the talented Ike Turner after meeting him at a nightclub in Manhattan.
In no time, the duo became a force to be reckoned with, singing and performing with their duo known as “Tina and Ike Turner.”
Photo of Tina Turner and Ike Turner in London in 1975 | Source: Getty Images
Apart from making music, the pair’s interest in each other intensified. Soon, they became romantically involved, despite the five years gap between Tina and Ike. For the upbeat powerhouse, being smitten by her, a man younger than her never got in the way of their love affair.
A few years down the line, she traveled with Ike to Tijuana, Mexico, where they exchanged marital vows. This became the beginning of another journey for the celebrity couple.
What many thought was a blissful union between like minds turned out to be the worst moment for the Queen of Rock and Roll. Decades after her divorce from Ike, Tina confessed that the relationship was plagued with verbal and physical abuse.
In her book “My Love Story,” she explained that her ex-husband hated any form of confrontation. So whenever there was a minor argument or he felt offended, she was in for a beating.
Ike and Tina Turner became a R&B success as the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Circa 1966. | Source: Getty Images
This continued for more than a decade. However, in 1976, Tina realized that it was best to leave the abusive marriage. Two years after the separation, the couple divorced.
Thankfully, Tina had the chance to experience true love again. This time, in the arms of a music executive, Erwin Bach.
Although she was not thinking of being in another relationship when she met Bach, he stuck around long enough, and the pair ended up creating the most charming love story.
Tina Fell For “So Different” Erwin First While He Didn’t
Tina Turner of the husband-and-wife R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner poses for a portrait in 1964. | Source: Getty Images
Then 47-year-old Tina met who she thought was her prince charming in a story similar to a rom-com. Bach had been contracted to pick her up from the airport before a show.
Immediately Tina saw the then 30-year-old music executive from EMI; his looks instantly smote her. He had barely opened his mouth to talk, but the singer knew that he was special. In her words:
“He had the prettiest face. You could not miss it. My heart went bu-bum. It means that a soul has met. My hands were shaking. And Roger said to me, ‘Tina, you ride with Erwin,’ and I wanted to go, ‘Yay!'”
Tina Turner and Erwin Bach on July 31,1999. | Source: Getty Images
Tina confessed that the atmosphere was not set in a way that should have triggered her emotions. She could have worried about her concert in Germany and dismissed the attraction she felt for the music executive, but it was impossible.
She said: “Even then, I could have ignored what I felt—I could have listened to the ghost voices in my head telling me that I didn’t look good that day, or that I shouldn’t be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart. I left my comfort zone and made it a priority to get to know Erwin.”
Singer Tina Turner performs live on stage at Wembley Stadium, in 1990. | Source: Getty Images
Once she was certain about her attraction toward Bach, she proposed a future meeting in the US, which Bach honored. Soon, they became an item. While recalling the moment, Tina mentioned:
“He was just so different, so laid back, so comfortable, so unpretentious, and that was the beginning of our relationship.”
Erwin Bach and Tina Turner arrive at the press night performance of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” at the Aldwych Theatre on April 17, 2018 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
However, it was not love at first sight for Bach. Still, Bach revealed that their relationship was built on love for each other, adding that it thrived on the same foundation. He said:
“It’s love. It’s something we both have for each other. I always refer to it as an electrical charge. I still have it. Even though when I left her two hours ago, I still have that feeling. It’s in my heart. I feel very warm about this.”
Proposal And Wedding
Tina Turner and Erwin Bach attend the Giorgio Armani 40th Anniversary Silos Opening And Cocktail Reception on April 30, 2015 in Milan, | Source: Getty Images
Three years after their first meeting and an intense romance, Bach decided to pop the question on one of her best days: her 50th birthday.
Singer Tina Turner poses with Erwin Bach to celebrate her 50th birthday in November 1989, London. | Source: Getty Images
However, Tina did not respond in the way he had expected. Instead, she gave an ambiguous response because she didn’t believe he was committed. Then, while reminiscing about the proposal, she said:
“I said, ‘I don’t have an answer.’ It wasn’t yes, it wasn’t no. Marriage says ownership. I didn’t want that ‘my’ anything, anymore. I had enough of that.”
Despite the uncertainty, Bach remained unwavering in his affection toward the famous singer, and nearly three decades later, she said yes!
Tina Turner and Erwin Bach attend the Giorgio Armani 40th Anniversary Boutique Cocktail Reception on April 29, 2015 in Milan, Italy. | Source: Getty Images
The couple married in 2013 at their stunningly decorated Swiss estate. Family and friends, including famous faces like Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, dressed in white and adorned their faces with hearty smiles as they joined the long-term partners at the memorable event.
As expected, Tina, the most beautiful woman in the room, was styled in a decadent Giorgio Amani dress, crested with Swarovski crystals.
This was a perfect occasion for Tina, and she marveled at its success. Speaking about the ceremony, the singer said:
“I wanted to be the best I could be. I wanted my garden and my guests to be the best they could be. And they were.”
Furthermore, she complimented her husband for being confident in himself. The singer described him as:
“A force of nature in his own right, has never been the least bit intimidated by my career, my talents, or my fame.”
Moving To Switzerland
Tina’s wedding venue in Switzerland had been home to the couple for many years. They enjoyed their lake-side home in the Zurich suburb of Kuesnacht. The singer’s abode, named “Chateau Algonquin,” provided a “cartoon palace energy.”
An NYT description of the home is that: “The home, which overlooks Lake Zurich, has ivy snaking up the walls, gardeners manicuring the shrubs, a life-size two-legged horse sculpture suspended from a domed ceiling, a framed rendering of Turner as an Egyptian queen, [and] a room stuffed with gilded Louis XIV style sofas.”
Tina Turner | Source: Getty Images
Tina, who retired from performing in 2009, was overwhelmed by the peace and privacy she got in the country. Although she had some family in the US, the singer labeled Switzerland as her home. She admitted:
“I am very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. I could not imagine a better place to live.”
The singer once opened up about what influenced her decision to relocate. She explained that her boyfriend-turned-husband lived there and that her music was more accepted in Europe than in America. In an interview with Larry King, she said:
“I’m as big as Madonna in Europe. I’m as big as, in some places, the Rolling Stones.”
Following her citizenship in Switzerland, the award-winning performer voluntarily relinquished her American citizenship by signing the Immigration and Naturalization Act in 2013.
Through Thick And Thin, Together
Bach and Tina were one of the industry’s power couples. Through their relationship and marriage, they remained supportive of each other. Indeed, the German native proved to be a loving partner whose priority was to protect his leading lady from as much hurt as possible.
Bach was present through Tina’s health challenges. In 2016, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had the option of regular dialysis or a transplant. In her memoir, Tina wrote:
“Only the transplant would give me a good chance of a near-normal life. But the chances of getting a donor kidney were remote.”
That was when Bach did something extraordinary; he offered to give her one of his kidneys. The “Proud Mary” singer recalled that:
“He said he didn’t want another woman, or another life. Then he shocked me. He said he wanted to give me one of his kidneys.”