Tina Turner found true love with husband Erwin Bach.
The "Queen of Rock and Roll" met the former music executive a decade after she fled from her abusive first husband and music partner Ike Turner, with whom she shares four kids. (Turner and Ike's oldest son, Craig, died by suicide in 2018, and their youngest, Ronnie, recently died of complications from colon cancer in December 2022.)
Turner and Bach dated for 27 years and were married for 10 years until her death on May 24, 2023 from a long illness. Over the course of their decades-long relationship, the couple shared plenty of sweet moments and milestones together. Turner also credited Bach for teaching her how "to love without giving up who I am."
"We grant each other freedom and space to be individuals at the same time we are a couple," the singer wrote in her book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. "Erwin, who is a force of nature in his own right, has never been the least bit intimidated by my career, my talents, or my fame. He shows me that true love doesn't require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other's lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together."
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While the pair kept their relationship relatively private over the years, they did open up about their love story in the 2021 HBO documentary Tina.
Keep reading to learn more about the late Tina Turner's husband Erwin Bach and their decades-long relationship.
He is a former music executive
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Bach was an executive with the European record label EMI, which worked with acts like Queen, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Turner worked with EMI to distribute her music overseas.
The label broke up into smaller companies in 2012. Before its dissolution, EMI was one of the largest record labels in the music industry.
He and Turner met at an airport and it was love at first sight
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Turner and Bach met in 1985 at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany. Bach was sent by EMI to greet the singer as she arrived. In the 2021 HBO documentary Tina, the couple said they had an instant connection from the moment they locked eyes.
"Her manager Roger [Davies] asked me to pick up Tina," Bach recalled in the documentary.
"So Roger said to me, 'Tina, you ride with Erwin,' and I wanted to go, 'Yay!' " Turner added with a laugh. "He was really so good-looking. My heart [was beating fast] and it means that a soul has met, and my hands were shaking."
The pair began a romantic relationship that same year.
"Falling in love with my husband, Erwin, was another exercise in leaving my comfort zone, of being open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer," Turner wrote in Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good.
"The day I first met Erwin, at an airport in Germany, I should have been too tired from my flight, too preoccupied with thoughts of my concert tour," she continued. "But I did notice him, and I instantly felt an emotional connection. Even then, I could have ignored what I felt — I could have listened to the ghost voices in my head telling me that I didn't look good that day, or that I shouldn't be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart. I left my comfort zone and made it a priority to get to know Erwin. That simple first meeting led to a long, beautiful relationship — and my one true marriage."
He is over 16 years younger than Turner
When Turner and Bach met, he was 30 years old at the time. Turner was 47.
Over the years, the couple received some flack for their age gap, which Turner briefly discussed in her memoir, My Love Story. "Incredibly, considering how long we had been together, there were still people who wanted to believe that Erwin married me for my money and fame. What else would a younger man want with an older woman? Erwin always ignored the rumors," she wrote.
He married Turner in 2013
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After 27 years together, the pair tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Switzerland. Turner was 73 years old at the time.
Days after their wedding, Turner and Bach threw a lavish, star-studded party at their lakeside Switzerland estate. Oprah Winfrey, Giorgio Armani and David Bowie were among the 120 guests, and the couple's home was decorated with 70,000 red and yellow roses from Holland. Men were asked to attend the event in black tie, while the women wore shades of white and beige. Attendees participated in a traditional Buddhist water blessing ritual, a nod to the faith Turner had been practicing since the '70s.
After nearly three decades together, the wedding came as a surprise. In 2000, Turner and Bach downplayed wedding chatter and seemed content with their leisurely European lifestyle.
"We are married — we just haven't walked down the aisle, and until there's a need to, we probably won't," Turner said at the time.
"We don't need a marriage to be together," Bach agreed, adding, "Some people need that security thing, but I think if you're internally happy with your partner, you don't need symbols."
He proposed to Turner multiple times
During an interview on Oprah's Next Chapter, Bach revealed that he asked Turner to marry him "twice" when she turned 50.
"I was trying to show Tina my commitment. I think when a woman turns 50 she should have a commitment from her partner," he explained. "I was committed and I wanted to show this, so I went down on my knee. I never did that before in my life, I was never married before. And I had my ring ready ... I had everything ready."
Winfrey asked, "So she sort of said nothing and strung you along for 23 years?" to which Bach replied, "But that was okay with me, I could read between the lines."
"Even though he asked me I didn't think it was real, I didn't believe him," Turner added. "But I didn't want to say 'No' because I wanted to continue the relationship."
Bach also shared that hearing about the abuse Turner endured while married to Ike was "hard for him to hear."
He gave Turner a kidney
In Turner's 2018 memoir My Love Story, the star shared that she had spent years dealing with life-threatening illnesses. She suffered a stroke just three weeks after her wedding to Bach, and in 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer.
After experiencing unpleasant side effects from treatment, Turner turned to homeopathic remedies, which only worsened her condition. Before long, she was faced with total kidney failure.
"The consequences of my ignorance ended up being a matter of life and death," she wrote. "At this terrible moment of guilt and self-recrimination, I learned something wonderful about Erwin. He never reproached me for my mistake. Instead, he was loyal, kind and understanding — and determined to help me get through all this alive."
Bach then donated his own kidney to his wife. The operation took place in April 2017 and was largely a success, though Turner still experienced mild symptoms.
"I'm happy to say that, thanks to my beloved husband, Erwin, giving me one of his kidneys, the gift of life, I'm in good health and loving life every day," Turner later wrote in Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. "I'm also thankful that I've not only survived, but thrived, so that I can pass on to you this book containing precious gifts that were given to me — the greatest gifts I can offer."
He and Turner lived together in Switzerland
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The couple moved to Switzerland in 1995, per a 2019 profile for the New York Times, and Turner relinquished her American citizenship in 2013.
"I was just tired of singing and making everybody happy," she told the outlet of her retirement. "That's all I'd ever done in my life."
She added, "I don't sing. I don't dance. I don't dress up."
In October 2021, Turner sold her music rights, along with the rights to her image, name and likeness, to the publishing company BMG. The transaction was worth around $50 million.
"Like any artist, the protection of my life's work, my musical inheritance, is something personal," Turner said in a press release. "I am confident that with BMG and Warner Music my work is in professional and reliable hands."
FAQs
Who is Tina Turner husband? ›
Who was Tina Turner's first husband? ›Previously, Turner was married to Ike Turner, a bandleader, singer and producer, whom she initially rose to fame with as the musical duo behind The Ike and Tina Turner Revue. They were married in 1962 until their divorce in 1978. Tina Turner and Ike Turner.
Who is Tina Turner married to when she died? ›| Tina Turner | |
|---|---|
| Occupations | Singer songwriter actress author |
| Years active | 1957–2023 |
| Spouses | Ike Turner ( m. 1962; div. 1978) Erwin Bach ( m. 2013) |
| Children | 4 |
Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, found her king when she met her future second husband Erwin Bach at an airport nearly 40 years ago. The music legend — who died at age 83 on Wednesday after a "long illness," her rep confirmed — opened up about her romance with Bach, now 67, in her 2021 HBO documentary Tina.
How old was Tina Turner when she married Erwin Bach? ›He married Turner in 2013
After 27 years together, the pair tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Switzerland. Turner was 73 years old at the time. Days after their wedding, Turner and Bach threw a lavish, star-studded party at their lakeside Switzerland estate.
What is Tina Turner's net worth? Tina Turner's net worth was estimated to be anywhere between $250 million and $270 million, according to multiple net worth calculators. Before her death, Turner struck a deal to sell her music, likeness and image rights to BMG Rights Management for $50 million.
Is Tina Turner married to Erwin Bach? ›Tina Turner was born in Nutbush, Tennessee and spent a majority of her career performing for fans around the world. But almost 20 years ago, she left the United States and moved to Switzerland, where she lived in her estate with her second husband, Erwin Bach, a German record producer.
Why did Ike hit Tina? ›That same year, the pair's friendship turned romantic, and Tina quickly became pregnant. According to Tina's autobiography, she soon told Ike that she did not want to continue their relationship — and he reportedly responded by “striking her in the head with a wooden shoe stretcher.”
Was Tina Turner ever married? › Did Tina Turner ever have a child? ›Where is Tina Turner and her husband now? ›
Tina Turner and her husband, Erwin Bach, were still expanding their real estate portfolio less than two years before the legendary singer died. The couple, who wed in July 2013, announced in January 2022 that they shelled out $76 million for a sprawling waterfront estate in Zürich, Switzerland.
How many biological children did Tina Turner have? ›Turner, whose death at 83 was announced May 24, mourned two of her sons before she died.
How old was Tina Turner when she had her son? ›Tina Turner gave birth to her first child, a boy, at just 18 years of age. As the child's father was Raymond Hill, the saxophonist in blues band Kings of Rhythm, he was named Raymond Craig Turner.
What religion is Tina Turner? ›While Tina Turner is heralded as an R&B and rock icon, her Buddhist faith was the soul that drove her eventful life and career. She often credited the religion with helping her find the strength to leave her abusive relationship with Ike Turner in 1976.
How old was Tina Turner What's Love Got to Do With It? ›At the time, aged 44, Turner became the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100. It was the second-biggest single of 1984 in the United States and the 17th-biggest in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.
How much is Tina Turner's husband worth? ›Is Tina Turner's husband a billionaire? Tina Turner's husband, Erwin Bach, isn't a billionaire, but he's plenty wealthy, with an estimated net worth of $50 million.
How old was Tina Turner when she became a mother? ›International superstar, singer and mother of four, Tina Turner, a.k.a. the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, first became a mom at the age of 18. The music legend, who died in May 2023 at the age of 83 after a "long illness," welcomed her first son, Raymond Craig, with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill in August 1958.
Who inherited Ike Turners estate? ›With both of Ike's once valid wills nullified, his estate went to his natural heirs, his kids.
Who inherits Tina Turner's money? ›Tina Turner was currently married to Erwin Bach. After the sudden demise of Turner, it is expected that Tina Turner left a will to specify, what she left behind for every individual. However, it is expected that her wealth will be going to her husband, children, and family.
How much did Tina Turner sell her rights for? ›Tina Turner sold the rights to her music catalogue, including hits like The Best and Nutbush City Limits, to music publishing company BMG.
How old is Tina Turner and did she have a stroke? ›
Legendary performer Tina Turner dies at 83 after illness
Queen of rock 'n' roll Tina Turner has died at age 83 after suffering a long illness, her publicist said in a statement to NBC News. Her death comes after she suffered numerous illnesses in recent years, including intestinal cancer, stroke and kidney failure.
Craig Raymond Turner
Tina had her first son, Craig Raymond, in 1958 when she was only eighteen.
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout.
Where did Ike Turner died of? ›The union was famously volatile, with Tina accusing Ike of severe abuse. Tina passed away on May 24, 2023 following Ike's 2007 death.
Where did Tina Turner died? ›She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said. Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock 'n' roll and evolved into an MTV phenomenon.
How old was Tina when she met Erwin? ›The couple met 37 years ago when Turner was 46 and Bach was 30. As Bach recalled in the 2021 HBO documentary "Tina," he and the "Proud Mary" singer came into each other's lives when the music executive was tasked with greeting Turner at Dusseldorf airport in 1986.
Is Tina Turner's husband a billionaire? ›Tina Turner's husband, Erwin Bach, is worth millions
Erwin Bach is a music producer and was previously a divisional managing director at EMI Germany and EMI Recorded Music Switzerland. According to CelebrityNetWorth, the record executive's net worth is said to be around $50 million.
Turner finally found love and happiness with German music producer Erwin Bach, whom she met in 1986. As their relationship blossomed, Turner started to wind down her recording career, producing her last album in 1999, at age 59.
How many children did Tina Turner lose? ›Singer Tina Turner had four kids and, sadly, two died within her lifetime.
How many kids did Ike Turner have together? ›
The pair raised four children together: three who were adopted from their previous relationships and one from their own relationship.
Who is the mother of Ike Turner Jr? › Is Tina Turner in a relationship? ›After 27 years of being in a relationship, Turner and Bach got married in 2013. The nuptials took place at their estate in Switzerland with over 200 friends and family members in attendance.
Did Ike and Tina Turner have a child? › Did Tina Turner have a sister? › Does Ike Turner have a daughter? › When did Tina come out? ›
Tina had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on March 2, 2021. It was released in the United States on March 27, 2021, by HBO.
What year did Tina Turner leave her husband? ›On July 3, 1976, Tina Turner decided to leave her abusive husband, Ike. She crossed a busy Interstate 30 and randomly stumbled into what was then the Ramada Inn. DALLAS - The news of Tina Turner's death affected people around the world on Wednesday. The 83-year-old singer died Tuesday after a long illness.
Did Tina Turner have a baby? ›Tina Turner and Ike Turner shared one biological son, Ronnie Turner, who followed his parents into music. Ronnie Turner was a bass player and was in the band Manufactured Funk.
How old was Tina Turner when she died? ›Tina Turner, the earthshaking singer whose rasping vocals, sexual magnetism and explosive energy made her an unforgettable live performer and one of the most successful recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich. She was 83.
How old was Tina Turner when she did what's love got to do with it? ›
At the time, aged 44, Turner became the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100. It was the second-biggest single of 1984 in the United States and the 17th-biggest in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.
Does Tina Turner have any children of her own? ›The couple had two biological sons Ronald Renelle Turner and Craig Raymond Turner and Tina adopted two of Ike's other children Ike Turner Jr. and Michael Turner and raised them as her own. Tragically, Craig Turner was found dead in June 2018 when he was 59-years-old. In 2022, her son Ronnie died aged 62.
How many children has Tina Turner got? ›The 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' had two biological children. She had her first son, named Raymond Craig, with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill. She had a second son with Ike Turner, named Ronnie, who played bass guitar in a band called Manufactured Funk with songwriter and musician Patrick Moten.
Did Tina Turner's husband give her an organ? ›An organ transplant from her husband, German music executive Erwin Bach, in 2017. "I was lucky that Erwin offered to donate one of his kidneys to me. It was the first step to kidney transplantation, a very complex procedure," she said.
Is Tina Turner a vegetarian? ›Tina Turner is a vegetarian musician, Buddhist
Born and raised in the Southeastern United States.
Tina Turner had intestinal cancer
In January 2016, Turner was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, she shared in her memoir. She'd been suffering from chronic diarrhea for months previously, she wrote. It was diagnosed at an early stage, and she had carcinoma and multiple malignant polyps.
Turner retired from music in 2009 after going on one of the best-selling tours of all time: the “Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.” She moved to Switzerland with her husband in 1995 and became a naturalized citizen. “I don't necessarily want to be a 'strong' person,” she told The New York Times.
How old was Tina Turner when she sang her last concert? ›Turner was 69 at the time of her last concert, but Andrew Curphey, from Widnes, recalled the her tireless performance.