Oprah Winfrey, a self-declared Tina Turner “groupie,” penned a heartfelt tribute to the late singer on Thursday.
“I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram.
“She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.”
“Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph. I’m grateful for her courage, for showing us what victory looks like wearing Manolo’s and a leather miniskirt,” she continued. “She once shared with me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious. Because she had learned how to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends. I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best.”
Winfrey shared a series of photos of herself with Turner, including one from the 1996 Grammy Awards, where they both performed.
“She was a role model not only for me but for the world,” Winfrey wrote. “She encouraged the part of me I didn’t know existed. Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph.”
In a May 2005 issue of Oprah’s magazine, Winfrey described watching Turner’s performances as “spiritual.”
“Watching Tina perform is what I call a spiritual experience. Each electrifying swing of her miniskirt, every slide of her three-inch Manolos across the stage, sends a message: I am here. I have triumphed. I will not be broken,” she explained. “When I leave a Tina concert, I feel the same way I do after I’ve seen any great art: I want to be a better human being.”
“She was a force of nature,” Winfrey wrote. “She was a survivor. She was a trailblazer. She was a legend. She was Tina Turner.”
Turner died on Wednesday at her home in Switzerland at the age of 83. She had been battling pancreatic cancer.
She lived a full life without regret and leaves behind a beautiful legacy. Thank you for everything, Tina Turner. You are simply the best. pic.twitter.com/wWxH9uo97z
— Oprah Winfrey Network (@OWNTV) May 24, 2023
