Learning Objectives:
- Students will be able to identify the key events in Tina Turner’s life.
- Students will be able to describe the challenges and successes that Tina Turner faced.
- Students will be able to analyze the impact of Tina Turner’s music on popular culture.
Tasks
- Have students research a specific event in Tina Turner’s life and present their findings to the class. See material below
- Answer one or more of the essay questions below, and choose between writing an article for a newspaper, a podcast for a radio station or a video presentation for a tv station.
Tina Turner is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who has been referred to as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. She has won numerous awards throughout her career, including 12 Grammy Awards. Her life story is quite interesting and has been documented in various forms including books, documentaries and movies.
Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself—speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy. Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll, and a star whose light will never… pic.twitter.com/qXl2quZz1c
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 24, 2023
Here are some useful links and videos on the life of Tina Turner::
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- Biography.com provides a detailed biography of Tina Turner’s life.
- NPR.org has an article on a new documentary that explores Tina Turner’s life.
- Harvard Business Review has an interview with Tina Turner where she talks about her life and career.
- Tina Turner Is Still Haunted by Her Abusive Marriage to Ike
- See what the stars wrote about her here: The New York Times
Additional Information:
- Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, in 1939.
- She began her music career in the early 1950s, singing with Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm.
- In 1960, she married Ike Turner and they became one of the most successful husband-and-wife duos in music history.
- However, their marriage was also troubled, and they divorced in 1978.
- After her divorce, Tina Turner went on to have a successful solo career, winning eight Grammy Awards and selling over 100 million records worldwide.
- She is considered one of the most iconic and influential singers of all time.
Essay topics
- How did Tina Turner’s turbulent marriage to Ike Turner impact her career?
- What was Tina Turner’s influence on the music industry?
- How did Tina Turner pave the way for other female artists?
- What are some of Tina Turner’s most famous songs and how have they influenced popular music?
- How did Tina Turner overcome adversity and become a successful artist?