Tina Turner

Tina and Oprah

At 73, Tina Turner, singer, dancer, author, choreographer, and actress, is the happiest she has ever been. She loves her age, how she feels, and the fact that she has absolutely no schedule to follow. She is fully retired and never plans to sing or dance professionally again.

Oprah interviewed Tina on her OWN channel last night while most of the music world was focused on the MTV Video Music Awards. I DVR’d Tina’s interview because I knew she would dispense great life lessons for all of us. I took it upon myself to watch the interview and then report back to you.While there is no purely digital aspect to this post, there are wise thoughts pertaining to us seniors that can enrich the latter years of our lives.

We all know that the first half of Tina’s life was living hell because of her association with Ike Turner. She was physically abused as his girlfriend and later as his wife. In those years she felt she didn’t have the strength and wherewithal to leave.

She stayed focused and always knew there were better days ahead. She has been living the good life for decades.

She recently got married to her boyfriend of 27 years, Erwin Bach, a well-to-do music producer 17 years her junior. She told Oprah the reason she got married now was because she wanted Erwin to have “a say” in her finances if something happened to her. She felt it wasn’t fair to live with someone for a long time and not give that person some control. He wanted her to have the same privilege with his money, too.

Recently the couple divested themselves of everything costly. They live a beautiful life but didn’t want the same overhead as they had had for decades. She still lives large, but nowhere near like they did before. She now feels totally liberated.

The biggest revelation was that she desires nothing. Yes, she has her beautiful home, a car, and jewelry. Yet, her biggest goal was to make enough money to take care of some loved ones and be comfortable.That had been a goal since the beginning of her career.

She quickly admits that the last few years of touring was a big drain on her. She was okay for the first song, but then she would sweat and be in physical pain. Her body started to pull back. Tina admits she couldn’t hit the high notes anymore. She claims she couldn’t wait to retire. She worked hard her whole life. She had to make sure her loved ones and the charities she supported would be taken care of financially. She has no regrets and no desire for the limelight anymore.

“I am at a stage in my life where I am totally happy. I accomplished what I wanted to do in life. I now have a great man in my life, great friends, and good health. I never really knew what happiness was. You can’t get it from a new dress, a new car, or a new house. Those are material things. You get happiness from within. When I get up in the morning, I sit for awhile to mediate. It is at that time of day that I am the happiest because I am free. No place to run to.”

Oprah asked Tina what she thought her legacy was. She immediately answered, “Endurance! I had to stay focused. No drinking, no smoking, no drugs. I stayed on course from the beginning to the end.”

Erwin and Tina today.


Erwin and Tina when they first met.


Tina and Erwin at their recent wedding.