Tina Turner told Oprah she was ‘ready to go’ in 2019

Tina Turner’s longtime girlfriend and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has revealed that the rock ‘n’ roll legend was “ready to go” during a 2019 hospital visit as she reflected on the singer’s legacy.

The Proud Mary superstar passed away at her Swiss home at the age of 83 after a lengthy battle with an unknown illness. The news was announced on Wednesday.

Oprah interrupted her Italian vacation to perform CBS mornings on Thursday with her boyfriend, Gayle King, to share their memories of the late singer.

Despite knowing Tina was “not doing well,” the couple said her death was still a “blow.”

“I was sure she was sick, but I had seen her in 2019 and was gone… to visit her in the hospital… And she had told me then that she was actually ready to go, which means that she was ready to leave the planet. ,” Oprah told the morning show.

“And then I expected this to be the last time I saw her.”

Oprah also credited Tina’s husband and German music producer Erwin Bach, whom she described as “the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known,” for “literally [willing] her to live.’

“She’s been through, you know, one health crisis after another,” she said, adding Gayle, “She kept coming back.”

Oprah said despite Tina’s many health problems, including back surgery in February, Erwin, 67, “never gave up.”

The TV mogul said she had been a “huge fan” of Tina and was lucky enough to call her a friend, and Gayle added that the singer had “a deep, deep affection” for Oprah.

“It’s incredible when you meet someone you’ve admired for a long time, and they not only live up to what you hope they would be, but exceed, surpass, and exceed them. And that’s what Tina was,” Oprah said.

Following the singer’s death, the talk show queen shared a lengthy tribute to the late star, saying she started out as a fan of Tina before becoming “a full-fledged groupie following her from show to show across the country.”

Her idolization of Tina eventually turned into “true” friendship, Oprah said.

‘She is our eternal goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who possessed enormous inner strength all 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,” she added.

“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.”

In an essay for Oprah dailythe TV mogul spoke of the moment she learned of Tina’s death at the hands of Gayle after turning off her phone while on vacation, saying she was “stunned and immediately burst into tears.”

“I expected this news four years ago in 2019 after visiting her in a hospital in Switzerland where she told me she was ready to leave this earth,” Oprah wrote.

She said she had a full life and was “tired.” I am always wary when someone who is sick says they are tired. It often means they are tired of work and the energy it takes to stay alive. I left the hospital thinking this would be the last time I would see her.

“I was on high alert for a whole year after that, waiting for ‘the call’ from her devoted husband, Erwin. Instead, there were phone calls with news of improvements, new treatments, therapies, doctors. There were setbacks and stabilization. I even got an invitation to celebrate her 80th birthday, then her 82nd.’

She continued, “Becoming her friend has been a lifelong blessing.”

Previously, the What’s Love Got To Do With It star has been candid about her thoughts on death, saying she’d “done what I came here to do.”

Tina, then 73 years old, told Oprah in a interview from 2013: ‘Even if it’s time to leave and go to another planet, [I’m] excited about it, because I’m curious what it’s about. No one can tell you because no one has come back.

“I’m not excited to die, but I don’t regret it when it’s time for me.” I’ve done what I came here for. Now it’s fun. I have great friends. I have a wonderful man in my life, now I have a wonderful husband and I am happy.’

Tina was last seen in public in November 2019, attending the Broadway premiere of the musical about her life.

She was pictured sitting in most of the photos from the event and got help from Erwin and Oprah as she walked the red carpet.

One of Tina’s last public photos was shared in March 2021 when she was photographed on social media watching the premiere of her HBO documentary.

Seven months later, the world got its last glimpse of the singer when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Nutbush City Limits singer did not travel to Cleveland, Ohio, for the ceremony, but recorded a video.

She posted a photo of her receiving the award the next day on October 31.

While the specific cause of Tina’s death has not been revealed, her health issues are well documented.

She was diagnosed with hypertension in 1978 and said she never understood she could do anything about it.

Because her condition went untreated, Tina suffered a stroke in 2009.

She had another in 2013, just three weeks after marrying her partner of nearly 30 years, Erwin.

Three years later, in 2016, she was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Doctors removed part of her intestine, but her kidney problems worsened.

Suffering from unpleasant side effects from her hypertension treatment, Tina stopped taking her meds and tried homeopathic medicines instead.

The results were devastating and led to kidney failure.

Erwin donated one of his kidneys to her in 2017.