Tina Turner

One of the most dynamic soul singers in American music history, Tina Turner was a vibrant force from the moment she stepped onstage as lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the late '50s. Her gritty and growling performances beat down doors everywhere, looking back to the double-barreled attack of gospel fervor and free-spirited abandon that had originally formed soul in the early '50s. Divorced from Ike in the mid-'70s, she recorded only occasionally later in the decade. In the mid-'80s, she resurfaced with a series of hit singles and movie appearances that secured her a second life as a powerful solo artist. Her high-profile status was assured well into the 21st century as she entered her late era a major influence on younger generations.

Born Annie Mae Bullock near Brownsville, Tennessee, she began singing as a teen and joined Ike Turner's touring show as an 18-year-old backup vocalist. Just two years later, Tina was the star of the show, the attention-grabbing focal point for an incredibly smooth-running soul revue headed by Ike and his Kings of Rhythm. The couple began hitting the charts in 1960 with "A Fool in Love," and notched charting singles throughout the '60s, though the disappointing position of "River Deep, Mountain High" -- cited by Phil Spector as one of his best productions -- was very hard to take. All expectations were fulfilled in 1971 with "Proud Mary," a number four hit that became the capstone of Ike & Tina's Revue.