My Love Story by Tina Turner

Author:Tina Turner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books

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“FOREIGN AFFAIR”

“There’s romance in the air, so they say

Love could be a small café away”

As I told poor Roger over and over again, probably until he was sick of hearing it—my long-held dream was to pack a stadium or a giant arena, just like the Rolling Stones. That dream came true with the 1985 Private Dancer tour. We did 180 shows in ten months, traveling the world to locations in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Over two million people came to see the “new Tina,” the solo artist now known for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Let’s Stay Together,” and “Private Dancer.” But I still sang their old favorites, especially “Proud Mary” and “River Deep—Mountain High,” and the audience loved hearing them. Billboard magazine wrote, “She comes to give,” and that’s exactly how I felt. I was thrilled to be on that stage. “Are you ready for me?” I’d ask the crowd. Boy, were they ready! It was hard work, but I gave it my all, from when I came out kicking, right up to the last encore, which was usually my version of the ZZ Top song “Legs.”

Speaking of legs, Billboard also said that I had “the most kinetic legs in the business.” I was—and I am still—amused by the constant attention paid to my legs. I truly don’t get the fuss. Did you ever see a pony’s legs when it’s just born? Long and spindly? That’s what my legs always looked like to me. When I was young, I used to think, “Why do I look like a little pony?” My short torso is hooked onto these two little dangling legs, but I’ve learned how to wear clothes to flatter them. In Nutbush, no one would have looked twice at my legs. Black women who were full and curvy were considered beautiful, but my body, which was just skinny and straight, never turned any heads. I know how to make myself look good, but I wouldn’t call myself a pretty woman.

Being on tour for almost a year left me with very little time for a personal life. I’d been without a serious boyfriend for ages. Not that I ever had a lot of men in my life—I spent my entire youth with Ike—and, after my divorce, dating was often more trouble than it was worth. I was never one of those women who had to have sex no matter what. There have been times when I’ve gone up to a year without it, to be honest. If you saw me on a man’s arm, it meant something. I didn’t go out with men just to have companionship. There were a few infatuations here and there, but nothing important. Don’t laugh, but I’d always been a little nervous about starting a relationship with a new man because I didn’t know how my wig would be received!

The wig is a critical part of the Tina Turner look. If I walked out onstage with “natural” hair, the audience wouldn’t recognize me.

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