THE ICONIC RECORDING ARTIST ON COURAGE, COMPASSION AND RESILIENCE
As a young girl growing up in Tennessee, Anna Mae Bullock liked to sing and recite movie dialogue to entertain her family. By age 20 she had a new name — Tina Turner — and a burgeoning music career with her partner, Ike. But behind the scenes, he was abusing her. Eventually, she found the courage to leave him and move on as a chart-topping, world-touring solo artist. She now lives out of the spotlight in Switzerland and recently released a new book, “Happiness Becomes You .”
You weren’t immediately successful as a solo artist. Did you ever consider quitting?
I never considered giving up on my dreams. You could say I had an invincible optimism. And I always knew that the “what” was more important than the “how.” In other words, although I had a hard time seeing how I could make my dreams come true, I focused more on what I wanted to achieve in my life, personally and professionally. I took actions day by day, often outside my comfort zone, to better myself and bring me closer to those goals. In Buddhism we call this inner process of transformation “human revolution.”
When you were touring, how did you prep to take the stage in front of millions of people? Did you have a preshow routine?
Yes, once I started my solo career, I would chant for an hour before each show, focusing on the true happiness of each person who came to see me. I visualized my audience and prayed that I could be whoever each person needed me to be that day so that I could inspire their dreams and help them recharge their souls. For me, being onstage was the best — a great exchange of energy with each person in the audience. Afterward, it often felt like a blur of color, light, joy and visions of the many smiling faces who had come to see me. Of course, we also had the usual preshow routines and sound checks!
You’ve also done some acting. Why expand beyond music?
Acting in movies was always a big dream, even though I had never expressed it outside my private prayers. So it was a total surprise when I was asked to play a starring role in the rock opera film “Tommy.” That was a real dream come true, as was starring in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”
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One of your albums was called “Break Every Rule.” What rules did you choose to break over the years, and how and why did those decisions pay off?
As someone who believes in karma, I don’t want to break rules just for the sake of being a rule breaker. But there is value in breaking norms, in challenging the status quo — as I did to break through those “isms” that suggested I couldn’t achieve my dreams because of my skin color, my age and my gender. That was rule breaking for the sake of positive change.
Of all the awards you’ve won, which have meant the most and why?
When I was going through some of the hardest times in my life as a solo artist, some of my jazz friends, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock and their families, took in me and my sons and helped me get back on my feet. We would sometimes chant together for several hours, and I would dream about a future in which we’d all be happy and successful. So winning the Grammy for album of the year for “River: The Joni Letters” with Herbie and Wayne was very sweet.
What advice would you give to young people making their way up in creative fields today?
Stay true to yourself, work hard and be reliable. Taking the road less traveled is often harder but well worth it. And no matter what, never give up.
Why did you leave the United States for Switzerland?
I have always felt connected to Switzerland and very much at home here. It is an especially spiritual place. It’s hard to describe, but the natural environment here embraces me with a loving energy that comes from both outside me and within. Where I live by Lake Zurich is not far from pastures that remind me of Nutbush, which is another reason I’ve always liked Switzerland.
What have you been doing in retirement?
My retirement has given me more time to relax and reflect. It offered an opportunity to pursue something I’d wanted to do for decades: write a book about my spiritual journey. This time in my life has also given me more time to read, to support the interfaith Beyond Music project and to spend time just being.
In recent years you overcame a stroke and cancer. Did that require a new resilience?
For more than 50 years now, I’ve relied on my spiritual practice to get me through difficult experiences. The most important thing I’ve learned when facing bleak circumstances is to choose hope over despair. Sometimes our problems seem like they will never end. I know that a lot of us are feeling that way now. But as one of my favorite Buddhist sayings goes, “Winter always turns to spring.” My challenges can either make me a better version of myself or break me apart, and I have a choice as to which it will be. It’s so important to remember that you do have a choice, even when it feels as if you don’t. I choose to be hopeful and to honor each experience in my life, negative and positive, as a chance to increase my wisdom, courage and compassion.
Have you found happiness?
It’s hard to give a brief answer to that question. In fact, the answer fills my entire book! But, after I began adopting Buddhist principles, I developed a strong sense of purpose. I also gained clear self-awareness of my potential to lift myself out of any problem and turn it into something of value, to transform any destructive negativity into hope-filled creativity and joy.
Is happiness a good or realistic goal for all of us?
Yes, absolutely. Regardless of cultural or religious background, personal beliefs or any other factor, each one of us can open the path to our personal version of a peaceful and happy life. The advice I share in “Happiness Becomes You” is meant to help all people tap into their own wellspring of joy. I’m confident everyone can because I did it myself, even after facing seemingly impossible circumstances time and again. I’m not superhuman. I’m just a lady from Nutbush, Tennessee. If I can do it, we all can.
