One day in London’s Kensington district in 1983, Tina Turner’s resurrection finally appeared within reach. The prior decade had been one of stage-shaking triumphs, personal nightmares, various degrees of mortification, and now, a chance at possible redemption. But as musician and producer Martyn Ware soon learned, Turner’s past was never in the rearview mirror — and on that day, it was terrifyingly in her face.
The previous year, Turner had sung on an edgy, pulsating remake of the Temptations hit “Ball of Confusion,” and now Ware — who had co-helmed that track, had co-founded the Human League, and was a member of Heaven 17 — was meeting with her to map out another collaboration. Arriving at what he recalls as “a beautiful kind of mansion” where Turner was staying, Ware took note of security guards outside. To his shock, Ware says, he was told that Turner’s ex-husband, Ike, who had previously served 30 days for drug possession and wasn’t averse to shooting at the newspaper delivery guy or making threats on his wife’s life, was in the city and calling; he was apparently trying to scale the walls of the building to demand money from Tina. “It was still going on then,” Ware says. “And I thought, ‘Tina is having to deal with this on a continuous basis.’ She did everything with such grace, poise, and good humor. She must have been hurting underneath it all.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Akshath Plots India Tour on the Back of Hit Song 'Nadaaniyan'
Mumbai artist's breezy love song took over streaming charts and short-video platforms
Aksh Baghla and 10CM Swap Languages in 'Spring Snow' Hindi Version
The Indian pop artist got the South Korean indie-pop artist to sing in Hindi on his hit song from the 'Lovely Runner, Part 8' soundtrack
Sukha Talks New EP '2003' and the Success of '8 Asle'
The Toronto-based Punjabi artist also looks back at hits like 'Sangdi' and the EP 'Undisputed'
Masrat Un Nisa on Channeling Raj Begum in Upcoming Film 'Songs of Paradise'
Inspired by the legendary Kashmiri voice Raj Begum, the singer talks about working with filmmaker Danish Renzu, who has also called on her for songs with his label Renzu Music
How Daira's 'Jaadoo Bastar' Tapped Into Chhattisgarh Tribal Stories
Mumbai rock band teamed up with artists including Lakheshwar Khudaram and Hindi lyricist Alok Ranjan Srivastava for five songs and a documentary that goes behind the scenes of the project
Peekay Embraces Djent on 'Merciless' and Plots an L.A. Move
The Hyderabad artist worked with guitarist Jonathan Edward and prog band Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar on the track
The Derelicts Take a 'Highway Drive' on Euphoric New Song
The Kochi disco-pop/electronica band introduce a science fiction-informed storyline for their first release since 2018
Sudan on How 'Happy Accidents' Led To His Genre-Defying Debut Album
Mumbai-based producer and multiinstrumentalist launched 'Sudan?' in August with a collab-heavy list of guests including Tejas, Frizzell D'Souza and more
Zubin Mehta Talks Symphony Orchestra of India Concerts
The Mumbai-born conductor leads a slightly offbeat selection for the SOI Autumn 2024 Season, taking place on Aug. 17 and 18, followed by Aug. 24 and 25
Ameya Saraf: 'I Wanted to Do Music for Life the First Time I Picked Up a Guitar'
Los Angeles-based Indian composer and producer worked his way from the rock scene to assisting pop artist Arjun Kanungo at the latter's Promethean Studio in Mumbai