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.
