Relationship with Erwin Bach, 16 years younger than the singer, was seen with suspicion – even with a totally egoless attitude on the part of the partner
Tina Turner spent nearly the last 40 years of her life with the man she defined as the true love of her life: Erwin Bach. She, one of the greatest singers of all time, and he, an executive at the EMI record label, met in 1986, when Bach was sent to meet her at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany. They started out as friends, but by the end of that year they had developed a relationship.
In 2013, about 27 years later, the courtship turned into marriage. It was the second official union for the artist, who had gone through very heavy traumas in her first marriage, with Ike Turnera musician who constantly attacked her and from which she literally had to run away.
In the case of Bach, the marriage lasted, in fact, until death separated them, since Turner passed away on May 24, aged 83. Even so, many people questioned the relationship, to the point of saying that the record executive, 16 years younger than the queen of rock and roll, was only with her out of interest.
An attitude revealed by Tina herself in her autobiography The Fullness of Being and confirmed by friend Oprah Winfrey, famous TV presenter in the United States, shows that Erwin was really in love with Tina. In 2017, the employee of the EMI donated one of his kidneys to his wife, as a way to save her.
The singer’s final years were marked by a series of health problems, including bowel cancer, a stroke (stroke) and a case of kidney failure. The latter was resolved only after Erwin’s act of solidarity, as narrated by the artist in her book (via People).
“I wondered if anyone would think that Erwin’s lifetime donation was in any way transactional. Incredibly, considering how long we were together, there were still people who wanted to believe that Erwin married me for my money and fame.”
At the time, Turner also highlighted that even with health problems, he was completely happy to have Bach by his side.
“I lived through a hellish marriage that almost destroyed me, but I continued. I know that my medical adventure is far from over. But I’m still here – we’re still here, closer than we thought. I can look back and understand why my karma was the way it was. Good came out of evil. Joy came out of pain. And I have never been so completely happy as I am today.”
“Only Royal Wedding”
Still in the work, Tina Turner defined her marriage to Erwin Bach as her “only true marriage”. She also recalled how she met him at the Düsseldorf airport.
“Falling in love with my husband, Erwin, was another exercise in stepping out of my comfort zone, in being open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer. On the day I met Erwin, at an airport in Germany, I must have been too tired from my flight, too preoccupied with my thoughts on my tour, and in too much of a hurry to get to my hotel to pay close attention to the young music executive who came from my label to welcome me.”
As soon as she noticed the young executive, she instantly felt an “emotional connection”, as she put it.
“Even so, I could have ignored what I was feeling — I could have listened to the voices in my head telling me that I didn’t look good that day or that I shouldn’t be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart. I stepped out of my comfort zone and made meeting Erwin a priority. That simple first date led to a long and beautiful relationship — and my only true marriage.”
Oprah Winfrey confirms real love
In a recent statement to the program this morning (via Igor Miranda website), shortly after the death of Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey she reflected on her friend’s last years. The TV presenter reinforced that the singer faced several health problems, but that Erwin Bach was always by her side.
“I saw her in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital and she told me she was ready to go, ready to leave the planet. And I already hoped that would be the last time I saw her. I have to say that her husband, Erwin Bach, is the most extraordinary person I have ever met, because he loved her until she was restored to health and moved on with her life. I mean, he literally allowed her to live (with the donated kidney).”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
