Tina Turner dead at 83: How the singer's legs went from 'pony pins' to being insured for $3.2M
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: News of Tina Turner's death at 83 has stunned the world and sent it spiraling into grief. But Turner herself was never far from it throughout her life. Tina Turner said in a recent interview that her legs are probably as famous as her melodious voice. Turner, 83, told a global news outlet in an exclusive interview that, "Sometimes I think I’m as famous for my legs as much as my voice."
The ‘Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' explained she decided to showcase her legs because it helped her in her dance moves, “I only had my legs on show so much as it made it much easier to dance... And then it became part of my style,” she said in an interview to The Sun.
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‘The Best’ singer also revealed in the interview how she was not confident with her body when she was young, “When I was younger I never felt confident about any part of my body,” but it was her legs that boosted her confidence, as the ‘Private Dancer; hitmaker then said, “but with all the attention my legs received, I realised they must be OK!”
‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’
It is also reported that the ‘Tina’ star once insured her legs for $3.2 million. ‘Let’s Stay Together’ star is now celebrating the fifth anniversary of her bumper hit West End show ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’, which narrates the journey of her life.
While the iconic musician has now stopped performing on stage after celebrating the 50th year in the industry in 2009, fans can still relive the magic of Turner’s music as they can see another actress portraying Turner on stage in the musical. Speaking about which, the ‘Addicted to Love’ hitmaker said, “That is exactly why I decided to make the musical.” She also loves to watch the other performers essaying her on stage, “They don’t copy me, they have to find a version of me in themselves.”
She also spoke about the extraordinary process through which the musical is performed, “It isn’t just the singing and dancing . . . the acting talent to play me is immense.” She further continued to praise the performers, “One actor plays me from 17 until 40 years old and is barely off stage.”
The singer who rose to fame as the lead singer of the 'Ike & Tina Turner Revue' before launching a phenomenal solo career hopes the show will be successful in inspiring other artists. She further quoted, “I battled hard to be the first black female solo rock artist to fill stadiums,” before adding, “I am proud to have played a part in clearing that path for women of the next generation — and the next.” As of yet, the musical has booking until February 2024 at London’s Aldwych Theatre.
‘Why do I look like a little pony?’
The now iconic legs were once the matter of desperation for Turner. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, she revealed, “I always had long legs. When I was young, I used to think, "Why do I look like a little pony?"” to which, Winfrey complemented, “Your legs aren't just long, they're shapely and beautiful.”
In a similar interview to The Guardian once she said, “When I was young, my perception of myself was quite negative. I didn't really care for the way I looked, especially how my legs looked, which is funny now because I became almost as famous for my legs as for my talent!" before adding, "But once I decided that my personal standard of beauty would be my own, and that I'd never compare myself to others, I could finally appreciate myself fully.” She added, "I came to realise that the way I saw myself had a strong influence on the way everyone else saw me,"