In The Know

Biden, Obama remember Tina Turner as ‘once-in-a-generation talent’

FILE – Tina Turner performs in a concert in Cologne, Germany on Jan. 14, 2009. Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer, died Tuesday, after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She was 83. (AP Photo/Hermann J. Knippertz, file)

President Biden and former President Obama are remembering Tina Turner, lauding the “Queen of Rock and Roll” as a “once-in-a-generation talent.”

The “Proud Mary” singer died on Wednesday at 83 following a long illness, her manager confirmed.

In a statement following news of her death, Biden cited Turner’s humble roots as “a farmer’s daughter in Tennessee.”

“With 12 Grammy Awards, she was the only woman to win in the pop, rock, and R&B categories, a signal of her versatility, creativity, and broad appeal,” Biden said, dubbing her “high-octane dance performances” as “legendary.”

Saying she “changed music forever,” Biden noted Turner’s “remarkable” personal strength.

“Overcoming adversity, and even abuse, she built a career for the ages and a life and legacy that were entirely hers,” the president said, offering condolences from him and wife Jill Biden to Turner’s family and “fans around the world who are mourning today for the woman they agree was ‘simply the best.'”

Turner visited the White House in 2005 and met with then-President George W. Bush as part of an annual ceremony recognizing that year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients.

In a statement issued by Barack and Michelle Obama, the pair described Turner as “raw” and “powerful.”

“She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself — speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy,” the Obamas said in their tribute.

“Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll,” the statement from the couple said, “and a star whose light will never fade.”

Tags Jill Biden Michelle Obama Tina Turner

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

See all Hill.TV See all Video

Most Popular

Load more

Video

See all Video