'She has touched so many of our lives': Tina Turner's hometown in Tennessee to install statue in memory of late singer
BROWNSVILLE, TENNESSEE: Tina Turner's hometown is planning on installing a statue in memory of the late singer, who died at the age of 83 after a “long illness” at her home in Switzerland on May 24, 2023. The statue would likely be located at Brownsville's Heritage Park near Carver High School, which the music legend attended.
Bill Rawls Jr, the mayor of Brownsville, where Tina was born and is home to the Tina Turner Museum, told TMZ that he intends to have a statue of the hitmaker and has already obtained support from local leaders. "When Tina stepped on stage, she owned it. We want this statue to represent that passion. Tina was an inspiration to the entire world ... She showed the people of Brownsville no matter where you start, you own your story about where you end up," he said. However, the mayor did not provide any timeline.
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Tina Turner Museum to honor late legend
Tina, born as Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee, will be honored on Sunday, May 28 at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center & Tina Turner Museum. Center Director Sonia Outlaw-Clark said, “Tina has touched so many of our lives with her music and her story of perseverance. This memorial will afford us the opportunity to have her family of fans share their sentiments and extend comfort to each other.” The memorial will take place at 7 pm, reports WATE 6.
Details of Tina Turner Museum
The museum is located at Flagg Grove School. The museum's website states, "This one-room schoolhouse once attended by a young Anna Mae Bullock (a.k.a. Tina Turner), built by her great uncle in 1889, is now home of the Tina Turner Museum. Inside you’ll find a collection of her memorabilia, including costumes, gold records and even her high school yearbook." The Center Director says, "It still has original floors, ceilings, and walls. It still has the desk and benches from the school." "My favorite piece is the [high school] yearbook because it shows her before she ever started her music career. They asked the students what they wanted to be, and she listed 'entertainer.' So we know she had aspirations of that even before she left Brownsville," the director further added, states NPR.
Her Grammy-winning singing career includes the hit songs 'Nutbush City Limits', 'Proud Mary', 'What’s Love Got To Do With It', and 'We Don’t Need Another Hero', from 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'. According to Fortune, she sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, and was voted along with Ike — her first husband who she married in 1962 and parted ways in 1978 — into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.