The singer Tina Turner was forever grateful for saving her: “Ever thankful”
Tina Turner credited David Bowie with playing a pivotal role in reviving her career in the early 1980s, before she recorded her hit album Private Dancer. According to Turner, her record label had decided not to renew her contract, but Bowie, who had just re-signed with Capitol, told executives he intended to attend her show at the Ritz to see his favourite singer perform, prompting renewed interest in her from the label.
Turner said the label took her seriously again after Bowie's public show of support and that his intervention led directly to her securing a new record deal, adding, "It was because of David that I got another deal, and everything else followed. I'll be ever thankful to him." The article also touches on Turner's broader legacy as a formidable live performer, noting her influence on artists such as Mick Jagger, her initial reluctance about the single "What's Love Got to Do with It", and her continued success into her 40s, including the hit "Better Be Good to Me".
- Tina Turner said David Bowie helped revive her career in the early 1980s
- Bowie's public support prompted her label to re-sign her
- She remained grateful, calling it the reason for her comeback success
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Tina Turner spent much of the early 1980s trying to rebuild a career that had stalled after the collapse of her marriage and partnership with Ike Turner. By that point her record label was ready to drop her, leaving her future in music uncertain, until a chance intervention from another star helped change the label's mind. This set the stage for her later comeback with the album Private Dancer.
David Bowie, one of the most influential and commercially successful musicians of the era, was a long-standing admirer of Turner's live performances. His public support for her at a pivotal moment carried weight with record executives, given his own standing with the same label at the time.
Turner went on to become one of the best-selling and most acclaimed performers of the 1980s, known for her powerful stage presence and hits such as "What's Love Got to Do with It" and "Better Be Good to Me". Her comeback is widely regarded as one of the most notable turnarounds in popular music, and she has often spoken about the people who helped make it possible.