A video in which Tina Turner surprised Oprah Winfrey on her talk show of the same name has gone viral after the singer’s death at the age of 83.
The video captured Oprah, 69, looking just like any other adoring fan as she watched the superstar perform her iconic song The Best.
Tina flew in from Switzerland to perform on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004 for Oprah’s 50th birthday, and was introduced to the public by John Travolta.
“This next surprise and gift came all the way from Switzerland,” John began. ‘Switzerland?’ asks a stunned Oprah.
But Oprah quickly figured out who the mystery performer was when John dropped his next hint, prompting the talk show host to jump out of her chair and scream as soon as she realized her idol was in the building.
‘This one hurts’: A video of Tina Turner surprising Oprah Winfrey on her eponymous talk show has gone viral in light of the singer’s death
“To tell you something, that you’re just the best,” he continued, immediately prompting Oprah to jump out of her chair and say “NO!” to scream.
When the curtains opened and Tina appeared on stage, a speechless Oprah looked like any other adoring fan as she watched the superstar approach her.
The duo embraced and then Tina returned to the stage to sing her iconic song.
An awestruck Oprah watched Tina from the crowd next to her partner Stedman Graham, her best friend Gayle King and Travolta, whom she excitedly hugged.
The video was posted to Twitter, where countless fans recalled seeing the moment for themselves.
“Seeing Oprah starstruck is just phenomenal…great share. Tina Turner was a legend,” one person tweeted.
“I remember when I was little and felt exactly the same when I saw that!!!! (Oprah was the most beautiful woman on the planet to me as a little kid! Those bambi eyes were just so magnetic to me.),’ another tweeted.
“I remember watching that episode and my mom crying when Tina came out. such an epic icon! This one hurts,” wrote another.
Happy Birthday Oprah! Turner was flown in from Switzerland to appear on the 2004 episode of Oprah’s 50th Birthday
Friends: The duo attended the opening night of the 2019 Broadway play Tina
‘She really was just the BEST! RIP,” one wrote. Another similarly echoed, “I loved this. RIP QUEEN TINA.”
Not only is Oprah a huge fan of Tina, she is also friends with her.
Oprah attended Tina’s wedding to Erwin Bach in Switzerland in 2013, and she even donned a Tina-inspired wig for a series of shows she did on the road after Turner’s Wildest Dreams tour.
Gal Buddies: The talk show host pictured with Turner
“We went all over the country following Tina Turner, mostly so I could go to Tina concerts in different cities every night. We built it around Tina’s theme at the time, which was Wildest Dreams, created a tour of wildest dreams, making wildest dreams come true for people, “Oprah recalled.
“I had a wig made so I could be a part and close to Tina in “wigdom” and then I wouldn’t take the wig off. I did it for show. I did it for the next show. I think we did five or six shows around the country, and I started wearing it on the weekends. I started wearing it to bed. I started wearing it all the time.’
The iconic singer died at her home in Küsnach near Zurich, Switzerland, today at the age of 83 after a long, unspecified illness.
Her representatives confirmed her death, saying, “With her, the world loses a music legend and role model.”
Winfrey had several Turner appearances on her eponymous talk show to choose from when she reflected on her friendship with the singer on Wednesday.
“I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-blown groupie, followed her from show to show across the country, and eventually we became real friends,” she said. “She is our eternal goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who possessed tremendous inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model, not just to me but to the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.
“Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic violence, her life became a clarion call for triumph. I’m thankful for her courage for showing us what victory looks like in Manolos and a leather miniskirt,” Winfrey continued. “She once told me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious.
Because she had learned to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband Erwin and friends. I am a better woman, a better person, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best.’
Superfan: ‘I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, followed her from show to show across the country, and eventually we became real friends’
Rock queen: ‘She is our eternal goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who possessed tremendous inner strength that grew throughout her life,’ continued Winfrey
Like a phoenix, “Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic violence, her life became a clarion call for triumph,” Oprah wrote.
On April 9, in what is believed to be her last public remarks, she shared The protector how she hoped the world would remember her – and how she didn’t fear death.
“How would you like to be remembered?” asked the Keeper.
Like the queen of rock’n’roll. As a woman who showed other women that it’s okay to strive for success on their own terms.”
When asked what “terrifies” her about getting older, she replied, “Nothing. This is life’s full adventure and I embrace and accept each day with what it brings.’
Keen as ever, Turner joked if she’d like more sex, money, or fame — “At my age, is there another option?” and shared how she enjoyed “anonymity in retirement.”