Mourning her friend. Cher has spoken out following the death of music icon Tina Turner, revealing they recently had a sweet visit together.
“I started going to visit her because I thought, ‘I need to put this time into our friendship, so she knows we haven’t forgotten her,’” the Sonny and Cher alum, 77, said on MSNBC on Wednesday, May 24. “So we all took turns going and spending time with her [at her home in Switzerland] and it made her happy.”
Cher added: “Someone said [to me], ‘When you two laugh together, it is the funniest thing that you could ever possibly want to hear’ because we both have such distinct laughs. But, she was really happy and, like, the first time I went [to visit] she was laying on a little chaise that she looks out at the lake with … and she said, ‘I can’t spend too much time’ and then five hours later we were laughing like crazy and she wanted to get up and show everything that she’d bought in her house.”
Several hours earlier on Wednesday, news broke that the “Nutbush City Limits” songstress died at the age of 83.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow,” a statement on her official Instagram account read. “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”
Turner — who was born Anna Mae Bullock — is survived by her husband, Erwin Bach, and her sons. The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll and late ex-husband Ike Turner shared Ike Jr., Michael, Craig and Ronnie. The former Tina and Ike Revue musicians had welcomed Ronnie in 1960 two years before they wed. They later adopted each other’s children from previous relationships. (Tina and ex Raymond Hill were parents of Craig, while Ike and Lorraine Taylor coparented Ike Jr. and Michael following their split.) Craig and Ronnie died in July 2018 and December 2022, respectively.
The “Proud Mary” singer’s rep confirmed to the Daily Mail on Thursday, May 25, that she had died of natural causes after battling an undisclosed illness.
“She was having a good time in spite of the fact that she was really sick and not wanting people to know about it,” Cher noted to MSNBC reporters. “She had her dialysis machine in her house and so that’s how she was doing.”
While the Burlesque star did not reveal Tina’s diagnosis, a dialysis machine typically helps patients pump blood. According to the National Kidney Foundation, it is a common treatment for individuals in kidney failure.
Cher also reflected on Tina’s lasting legacy as a musician and a friend.
“I think she’s one of the great artists in our generation, you know, in like rock ’n’ roll. There was no other person like her,” the “If I Could Turn Back Time” songstress added on Wednesday. “There was no other person who could come close to who she was. As a woman, she gave you lots of strength and I’m sure she’s encouraged so many people, but she gave me lots of strength sometimes and I gave her lots of strength too. I think we were perfect friends for each other.”
