Singer Tina Turner, world music legend, has just published his book titled Happiness is born of you, in which she makes surprising revelations that range from the lack of love she suffered from her mother since she was a child, to her suicide attempt. “Details of a life full of great obstacles: an unhappy childhood, abandonment, a violent marriage, a stagnant career, financial ruin, the premature death of members of my family and multiple illnesses,” the editorial reads.
“I was named Anna Mae Bullock and brought into the world in a windowless basement relegated to the ‘colored’ women’s maternity ward at the county hospital. My mother, Zelma, was affectionate with my sister, but with me she was different. I knew that he had never loved me. That’s a heavy load for a little girl.” confesses the 82-year-old artist who narrates how her mother abandoned her to go to the city, so she ended up living with her grandmother, who died shortly after.
When she turned 17, she met Ike Turner, who would become her husband. He was a musician and bandleader, famous at the time for his song Rocket 88. In the book, Tina tells how she became involved in this toxic and macho love. “It was an endless succession of ordeals. She changed my name from Anna Mae Bullock to Tina Turner early in our relationship, despite my protests.”
YOU CAN SEE: Bad Bunny in Chile: all the details of how to buy tickets for the concert
The artist reveals that Ike hit her and psychologically abused her. “Broken lips, black eyes, dislocated joints and psychological torture became part of my day to day,” he adds after noting that the professional success that was beginning to appear for her intensified “Ike’s insecurities and increased his drug use, with which his violent outbursts became more frequent”.
From suicide to Buddhism
For all this, he began to suffer from depression and that was when one day he wanted to kill himself. “In 1968, I was so depressed and despondent that I couldn’t think straight. One night, before getting ready to go on stage, I tried to kill myself by taking 50 sleeping pills. But when I woke up, I was disappointed that I didn’t make it,” he confesses.
It was then, when she hit rock bottom, that she found herself in Buddhism. “If there was justice in the universe, the long-awaited positivity would come to me one day,” he narrates.
YOU CAN SEE: From collaborating musically to expecting a child together: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s love story
In much of Happiness is Born of You, the singer of What’s Love Got to Do With It, shares endless personal experiences with the reader about the challenges she had to face and the obstacles she managed to overcome thanks to her tenacity. “I roared, roared and continued roaring until I overcame all the challenges,” he says in his book, which he also illustrates with photographs and reflections that have helped him get ahead.
“I know from experience that sometimes you have negative voices in your head that can be dangerous. These voices might say that you are too old, too gay, too skinny, too fat, too much this, too much that. They could tell you that no one will ever love you. Perhaps you have allowed your negative voices to undermine your self-esteem. If so, it’s time to tell those voices that you’re not going to accept them anymore.” affirms the singer who tries to be an example of struggle for the hopeless and the depressed.