‘I fought so much’: Weeks before her death, Tina Turner told people how she wanted to be remembered

Legendary singer behind hits including ‘The Best’ and ‘Proud Mary’ discussed her greatest fears and how she wanted to be remembered

Tina Turner shared the way she wants to be remembered in her final interview released one month before her death, aged 83.

The “Proud Mary” singer died at her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday (24 May).

“Tina Turner, the ‘Queen of Rock’n’Roll’, has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland,” her representative announced.

“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model... With her music and her inexhaustible vitality, Tina Turner thrilled millions of fans and inspired many artists of subsequent generations.”

Tributes from fellow musical legends, including Diana Ross and Mick Jagger, quickly poured in on social media.

“I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner,” Jagger wrote. “She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”

Six weeks ago, Turner took part in her last interview with The Guardian as part of the paper’s The Q&A column.

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There, the singer gave moving answers to a question about her greatest fear, saying: “I never want to go back; I fought so much through my life, that I have to keep going forward.”

Asked to name a trait she deplored in other people, Turner responded: “Too many times I had people try and make decisions for me. The assumption that I needed that was a big mistake!”

Turner, pictured in 2019 (Getty Images)

However, her most poignant comment came when asked how she would like to be remembered.

“As the Queen of Rock’n’Roll,” Turner replied.

“As a woman who showed other women that it is OK to strive for success on their own terms.”

Turner also made a cheeky reference to Jagger in The Guardian interview when asked to name her celebrity crush.

“I always had a crush on Mick Jagger,” she said. “I loved when we toured with The Rolling Stones.”