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'This one hurts': Video of Tina Turner surprising Oprah on her 50th birthday goes viral after iconic singer's death at 83

In 2004, Tina Turner flew all the way from Switzerland to perform on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' to celebrate Oprah's 50th birthday

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A heartwarming video of Tina Turner surprising Oprah Winfrey on her talk show has become viral following the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll"s death at the age of 83. The video captured the 69-year-old host's adorable fan moment as she watched the iconic singer perform her track 'The Best'.  

Back in 2004 for Oprah's 50th birthday, Turner flew all the way from Switzerland to perform on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'. She was introduced to the audience by John Travolta. "This next surprise and gift flew all the way in from Switzerland," John began according to Daily Mail. "Switzerland?" a bemused Oprah asked. 

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Oprah quickly identified the performer

However, it did not take much time for Oprah to identify the mystery performer when John dropped his next hint. It triggered the talk show host to jump out of her seat and shout the moment she realized Turner was in the building. "To tell you something, that you are simply the best," he continued, immediately prompting Oprah to jump out of her seat and scream "No!" 

Oprah, just like any other fan, was bewildered as the curtains opened and Tina appeared on stage. She watched as the singer approached her. Tina returned to the stage to sing her iconic track after the duo exchanged an embrace. A still surprised Oprah watched Turner from the crowd alongside her partner Stedman Graham, her best friend Gayle King and Travolta. 

'Seeing Oprah starstruck is just phenomenal'

The video was posted to Twitter and several Twitter users reacted to it. One user tweeted, "Seeing Oprah starstruck is just phenomenal...great share. Tina Turner was a legend." Another wrote, "I remember being little and feeling the exact same thing when I saw that!!!! (Oprah was the most beautiful woman on Earth to me as a little kid! Those bambi eyes were just so magnetic to me.)"

One user echoed, "I remember watching that episode and my mom crying when Tina came out such an epic icon! This one hurts ." "Imagine being one of the audience members who got to enjoy a surprise live Tina Turner performance. So lucky!" wrote one, while another tweeted, "I like Oprah talking about how she did her hair all up like Tina's, and then later realized it was kind of ridiculous. Great story."

Oprah and Tina Turner were friends

In 2013, Oprah attended Turner's wedding to Erwin Bach in Switzerland. Following Turner's 'Wildest Dreams' tour, Oprah even wore a Turner-inspired wig for a series of shows she did on the road. "We went around the country following Tina Turner, mainly so that I could go to Tina concerts every night in different cities. We built it around Tina's theme at the time, which was Wildest Dreams, created a wildest dreams tour, making wildest dreams come true for people," Oprah recalled.

"I had a wig made so that I could be a part and close to Tina in 'wigdom' and then I wouldn't take the wig off. I did it for the show. I did it for the next show. I think we did five or six shows around the country, and I started wearing it on the weekends. I started wearing it to bed. I started wearing it at all times," she added.

Tina Turner died in her home in Küsnach near Zurich, Switzerland on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83 due to a long, unspecified illness. Her representatives confirmed her death and said, "With her the world loses a music legend and role model." 

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