After Tina Turner left Ike Turner, the music industry pretty much gave up on her. She was a Black woman in her 40s, and many thought her time had passed, thinking she’d be stuck on the oldies circuit.
But everything changed one night in January 1983 in New York City. David Bowie was having dinner with his new record label right before his album Let’s Dance was released. But he told them he had plans for the night—he was going to see Tina Turner perform live, and nothing was going to stop him. He made everyone go with him.
Tina’s manager, Roger Davies, got a surprise call asking for 63 spots on the guest list. Tina later called it her “Cinderella moment” in her book. That night, she said, was like going to the ball—except no Prince Charming—because it changed her life forever.
After the show, Tina stayed up all night partying with Bowie, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood. They hung out around a hotel piano, singing Motown songs and drinking champagne. They even took a famous photo of all of them drinking from the same bottle of Jack Daniels. That night, Tina became a rock star, and her incredible journey had just begun.
Photo: Bob Gruen
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