Cher said she was very happy before Tina Turner died at the age of 83.
On Thursday’s episode of MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber,” the “Believe” singer revealed that she had recently visited Turner at her home in Switzerland because she wanted to keep their friendship strong.
“I started visiting him because I thought, ‘I need to dedicate this time to our friendship so he can know we haven’t forgotten him,'” she said. “So we all took turns spending time with him and it made him happy.”
Cher said Turner was a little skeptical about visits at first, insisting that she “can’t spend a lot of time” around people because of her poor health.
“Then, five hours later, we were laughing like crazy… Even though he was really sick and didn’t want people to know about it, he was having a good time,” Cher explained.
Cher noted that despite having a dialysis machine with her in her final days, Turner remained “very strong” after battling “this disease for a very long time”.
But I know, towards the end he once said to me, ‘I’m really ready. I just don’t want to put up with it anymore’” said the 77-year-old singer. “He just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Here’s what you need to know about the legendary singer Tina Turner…
“Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died Wednesday at the age of 83, after a prolific career spanning decades.
Tina – who was adopted Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame As a solo artist in 2021 – he has sold over 100 million records worldwide during his career, with songs including the hit song “The Best” and his solo comeback single “What’s Love Got to Do With It”.
It recorded the first and only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song that started the resurgence of her career in the 1980s.
Tina was 44 at the time, making her the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100 chart.
The singer and actress has won a total of 12 Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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On their last visit together, Turner gave his old friend a farewell present. “Last time I saw him, he gave me a pair of shoes,” Cher said. “What kind of shoes? Tina Turner shoes!”
The “Strong Enough” singer continued to reflect on their decades-old friendship, which began when Turner was in an abusive relationship with her ex-husband, Ike Turner.
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“When I first met him, he was still with Ike, and it was so weird seeing him with Ike and then seeing him,” she explained.
“I was very excited because afterwards he was so free. You could see that he was taking a deep breath. Her new life was like a big, breath of fresh air,” Cher continued.
Still, he never let his difficulties stop him and instead took care of “everything directly”.
“It wasn’t about to stop. He may not have won every battle, but he has fought every war. He was fighting for everything he believed in there,” Cher said of her deceased friend.
His family announced on Wednesday that Turner died after battling a “long illness”. The next day, his representative announced that he had died of natural causes.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the spokesperson wrote on Instagram at the time. With his music and boundless passion for life, he has captivated millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow.”
The publisher concluded by saying, “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who left us his greatest work: his music. All our sincere affection goes to his family. Tina, we will miss you very much.”