LOS ANGELES – The 2024 Grammy Awards paid tribute to one of the most iconic and influential artists in music history – Tina Turner, who passed away in May 2023 at the age of 83. Oprah Winfrey and Fantasia Barrino led a powerful performance honoring Turner’s enduring musical legacy and immense cultural impact.
Winfrey, a long-time friend of Turner’s, opened the tribute with a touching personal anecdote about the advice Turner gave her on self-care and confidence. “Tina Turner was always a towering figure. She is our forever goddess of rock & roll, who inspired millions, a moving symbol of grace and grit, soul and power,” Winfrey said.
She then welcomed Barrino to the stage, calling her an artist with her own “empowering voice.” Backed by musicians and dancers, Barrino launched into a passionate rendition of “Proud Mary,” one of Turner’s signature hits. Clad in a dazzling gold sequined outfit, Barrino commanded the stage with her powerful vocals and dance moves that thrilled the audience.
As the performance built to a crescendo, Barrino danced down to the front rows, pulling Grammy nominee Dua Lipa up to dance. She shimmied next to Beyonce and Jay-Z, bringing the audience to their feet. The high-energy celebration encapsulated Turner’s show-stopping stage presence and timeless appeal.
Turner, known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” was a trailblazer who broke barriers for black women in rock music in the 1960s and 70s. With her commanding stage presence, iconic fashion style, and hit songs like “River Deep, Mountain High,” “Private Dancer,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” Turner became one of the most successful solo performers ever.
Over the course of her nearly six-decade career, Turner won 12 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Beyond her prodigious musical accomplishments, Turner inspired generations of artists with her perseverance against adversity and ability to repeatedly reinvent herself.
After surviving domestic abuse and reinventing her career as a solo artist in her 40s, Turner’s life story was immortalized in the 1993 biopic “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Her honest chronicling of her struggles through adversity made her a global icon of resilience.
As Winfrey noted, Turner advised people to care for themselves with the same love and attention they doled out to others. Her bold, unapologetic spirit served as a model for women owning their confidence and sexuality. The stirring Grammys tribute reinforced why her music and persona will continue inspiring artists and fans for generations.
Barrino summed up the feeling in the arena when she belted out “Tina we love you!” – a simple but heartfelt message that brought the audience to its feet with applause. For a legendary artist who gave so much to the world, it was a tribute befitting the profound, enduring legacy of the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll.”
