Rock ‘n’ Roll star Tina Turner shared a grim Instagram post about her kidney failure two months before her untimely death – as former President Barack Obama paid his respects.
Turner, 83, opened up about her health struggles on International World Kidney Day on March 9, revealing she put herself in ‘grave danger’ by not taking her 1978 hypertension diagnosis seriously.
‘My kidneys are victims of my not realising that my high blood pressure should have been treated with conventional medicine,’ Turner wrote. ‘I have put myself in great danger by refusing to face the reality that I need daily, lifelong therapy with medication.
The What’s Love Got to Do With It singer died on Wednesday in her Switzerland home, following an unspecified illness. It remains unclear if her kidneys directly contributed to her death.
Tina Turner, 83, opened up about her health struggles on International World Kidney Day on March 9, revealing she put herself in ‘grave danger’ by not taking her 1978 hypertension diagnosis seriously
The What’s Love Got to Do With It singer died on Wednesday in her Switzerland home, following an unspecified illness
Turner’s post from March gave a glimpse of her final days as she added: ‘For far too long I believed that my body was an untouchable and indestructible bastion.’
In a chilling interview with the Guardian from April, Turner revealed how she wanted to be remembered and added she didn’t fear death.
‘How would you like to be remembered?’ the Guardian asked.
‘As the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. As a woman who showed other women that it is OK to strive for success on their own terms.’
Asked what frightens her about getting older, she replied: ‘Nothing. This is life’s full adventure and I embrace and accept every day with what it brings.’
Several high-profile figures and celebrities rushed to honor Turner on social media while posting her performance photos.
Former President Obama honored the late signer late-Wednesday, referring to her as ‘unstoppable.’
He posted a photo of Turner flaunting in a silver-sparkle dress with black lace trim.
‘Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself – speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy,’ Obama wrote.
‘Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll, and a star whose light will never fade.’
Former President Obama honored the late signer late-Wednesday, referring to her as ‘unstoppable’
A musical legend: Turner in 1997. In a recent interview, she said she wanted to be remembered as ‘the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’
Tributes were left outside Turner’s home in Zurich within hours of her death
The Tennessee-born singer was remembered for her electrifying performances, but at her final public appearance the singer was frail and needing help to walk.
Turner was last seen in public in November 2019, attending the Broadway premiere of the musical of her life, where she needed help standing.
She was pictured sitting in most photos from the event and had help from her husband, Erwin Bach, and Oprah Winfrey while walking the red carpet.
When Turner was diagnosed with hypertension, she said she didn’t understand she could do anything about it.
‘I can’t remember ever getting an explanation about what high blood pressure means or how it affects the body,’ she told the European Health Kidney Alliance, in March this year.
‘I considered high blood pressure my normal. Hence, I didn’t really try to control it.’
With her condition left untreated, Turner suffered a stroke in 2009.
She had another in 2013 – just three weeks after she wed her partner of almost 30 years, German music producer Erwin Bach.
Three years later, in 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer.
Doctors removed part of her intestine, but her kidney issues worsened.
Turner suffered from unpleasant side effects from her hypertension treatment, and stopped taking her medicines, trying homeopathic medicine instead.
The results led to kidney failure and eventually resulted in her husband Bach donating his kidney to save her life.
The operation took place in April 2017 and was largely a success, though Turner still experienced mild symptoms, which included nausea and dizziness, according to her interview with the European Kidney Health Alliance.
‘The months after the transplantation were marked by a never-ending up and down,’ she said.
‘From time to time, my body tried to reject the donor kidney, as it frequently happens after transplantation. Every so often, this required more hospital admissions. I kept feeling nauseous and dizzy, forgot things, and was scared a lot. These problems are still not quite resolved.
‘I am on multiple prescriptions and take great care to follow my doctors’ orders meticulously. For I know that I can trust them and their therapies.’
The singer was supported by Oprah Winfrey on the opening night of ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’ on Broadway
Tina Turner found true love with Erwin Bach. The two are pictured celebrating her 50th birthday in November 1989 in London
The pair enjoyed a loving relationship for 38 years until her death on Wednesday. He previously donated a kidney to her. Turner and her husband pictured at a Paris Fashion Week show in July 2018
In her 2018 memoir My Love Story she told of the terror of her stroke.
‘That’s when I discovered I couldn’t stand on my own,’ she said.
‘I was too embarrassed to call for help. Legs for days and muscles of steel from dancing, but I didn’t have the strength to get up. Terrified, I dragged myself over to a sofa, all the while thinking that I couldn’t imagine Tina Turner paralyzed.
‘I doubted that I would ever be able to wear high heels again, let alone dance in them.’
One of Turner’s last public photos happened in March 2021, when she was pictured on social media watching the premiere of her HBO documentary.
‘Only 5 days left! This Saturday, the documentary ‘TINA’ will be released,’ she wrote.
‘I am so excited to share this movie with you – seeing the concert scenes made me relive some of the proudest moments of my life. I simply had to sing along and dance around my living room!’
Turner posted this photo to Twitter in March 2021, celebrating the launch of her HBO documentary
Turner was last seen in October 2021, when she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ”As you can surely tell from my beaming smile: I am thrilled to now be officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist,’ she captioned the photo
Seven months later, the world got its final glimpse of the singer, when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Turner did not travel to Cleveland, Ohio, for the ceremony but recorded a video.
‘If they’re still giving me awards at 81, I must have done something right,’ Turner said through a pre-recorded video message, broadcast on October 30, 2021.
‘I’m very happy to have this.’
She posted a photo of her receiving the award the day after, on October 31.
‘As you can surely tell from my beaming smile: I am thrilled to now be officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist,’ she captioned the photo.
‘What an honor! I am grateful to so many beloved people who believed in me and stood by me on my journey here – especially you, my fans. Keep on rocking!’