Behind the Music

Episode Synopsis

A candid first-hand account of rock 'n' roll tragedy and triumph, featuring rare and never-before-seen archive video, film and home movie footage, concert clips, and songs, plus exclusive interviews with Tina's sister Aileen Bullock, her son Craig Turner, Ike Turner, Sir Elton John, Cher, Phil Spector, Al Green and The Ikettes.Born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tenn., Tina Turner moved to St. Louis as a teenager and sang in honkytonks and nightclubs, where she was discovered in 1956 by guitarist Ike Turner, already an R&B star with hits like Rocket 88. In 1960, the band was renamed "The Ike & Tina Turner Revue" (though they duo didn't marry until 1962) and scored a #1 hit with A Fool in Love. For the next 14 years, Tina charted numerous hit singles and albums, raised four children, became the Rolling Stones' favorite opening act, appeared in films like The Who's "Tommy," and toured relentlessly in a wild, raucous stage show with her backup singers The Ikettes, the band and the ever-volatile Ike.Along the way, there was violence, depression, despondence, a suicide attempt -- and redemption. At the top of their fame, Tina left Ike, who had made her life a living hell for years, and struggled for four more years to remake herself as a solo artist. With the help of Australian management wizard Roger Davies, Tina Turner again burst onto the international scene in 1984 with her megahit Private Dancer album, spawning the blockbuster song What's Love Got to Do with It (later the title of the feature film based on her life). She has since followed with several Grammy Awards, more movies like "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," her best-selling autobiography I, Tina, recordings with Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Elton John, David Bowie, Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In her most recent gig, Tina Turner played to an audience of almost a billion worldwide when she opened the show for Super Bowl 2000.