Okay, relax, we are not a Tina Turner tribute site and we’re not gonna just play “old people” music.  We like music with big sound that cooks.  Most of Tina Turner’s music was that for decades.  But much more importantly, and the reason she is our unofficial spirit animal and our first choice for site music, is because much of her life represents what we’re about (and we’re not talking about how women around the world were jealous of her legs virtually her whole adult life!).

The truth is lesser people wouldn’t have survived her 83 years.  We won’t get into her time with Ike Turner here but a whole lot of people would have given up on show biz – and life – far before their mid-40s when Tina Turner became the Tina Turner all of America and the world got to know while breaking out as a solo artist in 1984.  Here are a couple of big lessons…

1. Be wherever you need to be for as long as you need to be there. After her split with Ike Turner, she wanted a legit solo deal but no one would touch her. She did shows pretty much wherever people would take her.  It took years but eventually “it” happened.
2. Work damn hard – for as long as it takes. We’re not sure if she was the hardest working stage performer of her time, but we’ve never heard anybody say she wasn’t. She did not have a reputation for cancelling shows. Her shows were 2 full hours at 100 throughout her 60s and she was still performing into her 70s.  If you’ve never seen her on stage, watch the clip below of her at age 61.  If you have, watch it again.

The bottom line is this.  It might take you 6 decades and 1 year for you to sell out Wembley Stadium (or whatever the big goal is for you) but you can get there.  Rest in peace, Anna Mae Bullock.  You deserve it.