Tina Turner was honored at the 2024 Grammys with a heartfelt tribute.
Tina Turner, who died on May 24, 2023 at the age of 83, was buried at the Grammy Awards 2024 honored on Sunday evening (February 4th) with a loving tribute from talk show host Oprah Winfrey and singer Fantasia Barrino.
Tina Turner: Moving words from Oprah
Winfrey remembered their friendship with warm words. “She always said to me, ‘Oprah, you should dress up for dinner even if no one else is there. Just to make you feel beautiful yourself. For yourself.’” She further elaborated on a guitar riff from “Proud Mary”: “Tina Turner was always an outstanding personality. She is our eternal goddess of rock ‘n’ roll, who has inspired millions of people, a moving symbol of grace and toughness, soul and strength. Our love and respect for Tina grew as we watched her courageously take back her freedom. From the moment I met Tina, first as a fan, then as a friend, she was a role model with a difference… And as the great wheels of time continue to turn, Tina’s voice continues to speak to us all.”
Following her speech, Winfrey turned the floor over to Fantasia Barrino, star of the musical drama “The Color Purple,” who introduced a soulful rendition of “Proud Mary” with a soulful acapella intro that later led to an energetic stage performance .
Numerous other artists were honored at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday evening, including Tony Bennett, Sinéad O’Connor and Clarence Avant. What was annoying for many viewers, however, was that Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth, Keith Reid of Procol Harum and Peter Brown (who wrote for Jack Bruce in Cream), British soul queen Linda Lewis and Kinks bassist John Gosling had apparently been forgotten . Also missing were Geordie Walker from Killing Joke, Mark Stewart from the Pop Group and Vivian Trimble from Luscious Jackson. “And couldn’t they have included Aston “Family Man” Barrett, reggae’s greatest bassist, even though he died the day before the ceremony?” criticizes the American ROLLING STONE quite rightly.