''I, Tina: My Life Story'' is a 1986 autobiography by

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

, co-written by

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

news correspondent and music critic Kurt Loder. It was published by

William Morrow and Company William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981, and sold to News Corporation (now News Corp) in 1999. The ...

, and was reissued by Dey Street Books in 2010.

Content

The book details Tina Turner's story from her childhood in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her initial rise to fame in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

under the leadership of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

musician

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

which became an abusive marriage, leading up to her resurgence in the 1980s.

Contributors

The book contains passages from many of Turner's family, friends and associates, including: * Joe Bihari * Bonnie Bramlett * Alline Bullock * Zelma Bullock (Tina's mother) * Roger Davies * Venetta Fields * Rhonda Graam (Ike & Tina's road manager) * Bob Gruen * Raymond Hill * Bob Krasnow * Clayton Love * Robbie Montgomery * Juggy Murray * Harry Taylor (Tina's first love) * Craig Turner (Tina's son with Raymond Hill) *

* Ike Turner Jr. (Tina's adopted son) * Ronnie Turner (Tina's son with Ike Turner) * Gene Washington (

Kings of Rhythm Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in Clarksdale, Mississippi and led by Ike Turner through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has undergone c ...

drummer / boyfriend of Tina's sister Alline)

Reception

The book became a worldwide best-seller when it was released and led to the 1993 film adaptation '' What's Love Got to Do with It'', starring Angela Bassett as Turner; for her acclaimed performance as the singer, Bassett was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...

. In 1999, Ike Turner released his own autobiography, '' Takin' Back My Name'', which in part is a rebuttal of the image presented of him in Tina's book and the film.

References

African-American autobiographies Music autobiographies 1986 non-fiction books Tina Turner Autobiographies adapted into films Books about singers Literature by African-American women {{music-bio-book-stub