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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2021)
April 7, 2021 Page 7 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Tina : ‘Goodness did not balance out Bad’ HBO’s touching story of music icon by Dwight Brown She’s like an eternal flame. Can’t remember when she wasn’t around. Can’t imagine life without her. That’s the mag- ic that some music legends can create. They get people to think about them in the past, present and future. The here, now and always. Tina Turner’s journey into the world of professional mu- sic began in 1957 when she, as Anna Mae Bullock, became the star singer with the Ike Turn- er’s Kings of Rhythm band. The 1960 hit song “A Fool in Love” and a name change to Tina Turn- er kickstarted her on the road to fame and formed her persona as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In “Tina” the new HBO 118-minute tribute by directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, Turner, in her own words, de- scribes various pivotal epochs in her life and career. Confessions, revelations, setbacks and break- throughs. Yes, Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, MTV’s Kurt Loder Tina Turner performs in 1973 in this photo released by HBO for the new documentary “Tina.” (Photo via AP) and her manager Roger Davies appear and recollect their inter- actions too. Rare footage, audio tapes (a pivotal 1981 interview with People magazine), person- al photos and new interviews abound. But no one and noth- ing leaves a stronger impression than the reflective 79-year-old Turner reminiscing and explain- ing the pitfalls and rewards of her stardom: “The goodness did not balance out the bad.” Measured, thoughtful and determined to tell her story, she goes back to that fateful time, meeting the brilliant, troubled musician/showman Ike Turner and being enthralled then dis- mayed: “ I was 17-years-old. I was young, naïve.” Once the floodgates open, it all comes back to her. The live shows, recording studios, Ikettes and physical and emotional trauma. Then fleeing her husband, reviv- ing her career, working in night- clubs and dreaming of filling rock stadiums one day. The hardest memories to ex- press are the times with Ike. Though, once the world could see how much she’d suffered and transcended, that scenario became part of her branding, like it or not. A blessing and a curse. The good part is that music fans and everyday people relat- ed to her courageous story. The trouble is that mentioning the bad times retraumatized her. She thought she could abolish that Hall of Fame Honor for Eddie Murphy Actor-Comedian moved by NAACP Image Awards induction (AP) — Eddie Murphy has been inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. Murphy accepted his induction during the orga- nization’s annual award ceremony on March 27. The award was presented by his longtime friend and “Coming 2 America” co-star Arsenio Hall. “I’ve been making movies for 40 years now ... 40 years. This is the perfect thing to commemorate that and be brought into the hall of fame,” Murphy said. “Thank you very much. I’m very moved.” The hall of fame induction is bestowed on an individual who is viewed as a pioneer in their respective field and whose influence shaped the “profession for generations to come.” Previous inductees include Oprah Winfrey, C ontinued on P age 10 Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy has been inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. (AP file photo) part of her PTSD by revealing it all in her 1986 bestseller I, Tina: My Life Story, co-written with Loder. It had the opposite effect. The bio fueled even more at- tention towards the nightmarish parts of her life. The 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do With It, which earned Oscar noms and $56M at the box office, contin- ued to hold that same spotlight on her. Listening to her personal an- ecdotes and seeing how she has gracefully aged is like sitting at the feet of a great aunt waiting breathlessly for her to retell her life stories. She may tire of the exercise, but her fans will not. And hearing one more time how the denial of love from her mom, dad and Ike made her look for love as a performing artist never gets old. In-between the memories and testimonies, a parade of songs and extraordinary performances keep the footage vibrant. “Proud Mary,” “River Deep Mountain High” and “Nutbush City Lim- its.” “Let’s Stay Together,” “Pri- vate Dancer,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” It’s all on her jukebox. If there is one song/ performance that is missing, it’s C ontinued on P age 10
