Iconic vocalist, Tina Turner, will be celebrating her eightieth birthday soon. Turner can mark yet another life milestone because of her beloved second husband.
Today, on November 26, 2022, American-Swiss singer, Tina Turner, celebrates her 83rd birthday. In 2021, the casts of “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical” worldwide celebrated with her by singing on her special day.
Singer Tina Turner attends Armani fashion show at 798 Art Zone on May 31, 2012 in Beijing, China ┃ Source: Getty Images
The “TINA the Musical London” tweeted on November 26, 2016: “Happy Birthday@LoveTinaTurner!” on Twitter. The message came with a 30-second video of the said cast singing their hearts out to the music legend while applauding at the end of the clip.
The “What’s Love Got to Do with It” hitmaker made it to 83 years thanks to her husband of nine years, music producer Erwin Bach. The German native made the ultimate sacrifice to save his wife’s life.
How Did Turner’s Husband Save Her Life?
When Turner met her future spouse, it was “love at first sight” for her. The pair crossed paths when he had to pick her up from the airport in Germany before a concert. Upon meeting, she instantly felt a deep connection between them.
Turner said she was taken aback by Bach’s good looks and that her heart skipped a beat after laying eyes on him for the first time. She noted it all meant that she had found genuine love, adding:
“My heart went bu-bum. It means that a soul has met. My hands were shaking.”
The Tennessee native said many things happening at the time could have easily made her ignore Bach, but she followed her instinct and made it a mission to learn more about Bach.
However, the music executive, who is 17 years younger, did not feel the same way in the beginning. “I was working,” Bach later admitted, but he and Turner got along well during the ride.
His feelings soon changed, and he fell as hard as she was for him. Yet, the couple only wed in 2013 after 27 years together.
Turner retired from the music business on May 5, 2009, and closed the curtain on her global success career with a world tour. The megastar was almost 70 years old when she performed on stage in Sheffield, England, for the last time.
Following her retirement, she experienced life-threatening health issues. Turner was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and suffered a stroke but overcame them. In December 2016, the “Proud Mary” singer discovered that she had kidney cancer.
Turner discussed the daunting experience in her book, “My Love Story,” writing that she was left with only two options: to either go for “regular dialysis” or have a “kidney transplant.”
She stood a better chance at survival with an organ transplant, but the opportunities to receive one were limited. Turner’s medical condition was so dire that she even considered assisted suicide because there was no way she could live without a kidney transplant.
Fortunately, her long-time love came to the rescue. Bach offered to give his darling wife his kidney, and the thought of it left her in instant shock:
“He said he didn’t want another woman or another life. Then he shocked me. He said he wanted to give me one of his kidneys.”
Still, in disbelief, Turner expressed the overwhelming feeling she had because of the great lengths Bach had gone to ensure that she was to live for as long as possible. Thankfully, the transplant surgery was a success, and she said she was:
“Happy, overwhelmed, and relieved that we’d come through this alive.”
Where Does the Couple Live Now?
The “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll” is now enjoying her retirement with her husband in Zurich, Switzerland. The lovebirds have lived in Europe for decades now.
Turner once revealed she relocated to Europe because of Bach, who was running a company there. They were still dating at the time. The couple resides in a mansion called Chateau Algonquin.
They moved to the countryside in 1995, which happens to be the actress’s favorite place. Turner loves the country because of its strict rules. Moreover, although she does not speak German – in a country where it is one of the national languages – she at least has her spouse to translate if need be.
The duo’s home is enormous. It is something Turner has always wanted. “I wanted a castle until I saw how big castles were,” she explained.