The queen of rock‘n’roll Tina Turner was a star off stage as well as on it, her neighbours say.
Locals in the small community of Kusnacht on the shores of Lake Zurich in Switzerland laid flowers at the gates of her mansion after her death aged 83 on Wednesday.
They told how the superstar would always stop to say hello when she was seen in the park, walking or shopping.
Heating firm boss Leo Scherer, 65, who lives on the lakeside road, said: “She was a very good person.
“She was really happy here and she would always say hi if you saw her on the street.
“She had a quiet life. When you met her out and about, she was humble. She never acted like a big star.”
Neighbours were joined by fans, friends and colleagues as the flowers mounted up.
Alexandra Kruse, 44, a former stylist who made a TV commercial with Tina in 2015, said: “I wanted to say thank you and goodbye to her because she was simply the best.
“Her honesty about her domestic abuse inspired a lot of women to escape that. And there will always be her music – that lives on for ever.
“I only spent a few days with her. She was such a professional but also so friendly.
“She knew everyone’s names on the set and had such grace and wisdom. There was a spiritual side to her too; she was a Buddhist and loved her garden by the lake.
“She may have been a big star – as Hollywood as you get here in Switzerland – but she was so open and brave about what she had been through in life.”
Neighbours said the singer paid for the area’s Christmas lights and also for a rescue vessel – named Tina – on the lake.
The star learned German – the most common language in Switzerland – went to yoga classes and did the occasional impromptu performance for friends even after her retirement in 2009.
Satu Heinanen, 58, a fan from Finland who lives near the star’s home, said: “I saw her last concert here in February 2009, on her farewell tour, and she was still amazing. And, oh those legs – she was still up there dancing on a ramp high above the audience in high heels.”
So many people left bouquets, messages and candles that they had to be taken from the front gate.
The floral tributes were moved into the grounds of the mansion. Elizabeth Walter, 62, who took her granddaughter on a ferry across the lake to lay flowers, said “I’ve been a fan for 50 years. It was not just about the music, it was about Tina Turner as a person.
“She has been living here since 1994, and found happiness after real tough times.”
Tina sprang to fame in the 1960s, recording with her husband Ike Turner. They had huge success but three years after their divorce in 1978, Tina said she suffered years of physical abuse at his hands. Ike died in 2007.
Tina remarried in 2013 – getting hitched to music executive Erwin Bach – on the banks of Lake Zurich. They met in the 1980s and settled in Switzerland in 1994.
Erwin donated a kidney to save Tina’s life in 2016. Local Anna Lander, 70, said: “What a sacrifice for him to have made. He’s also a great person and always lovely when you meet him.”
Tina, who had not been seen in recent months, died with Erwin, 67, by her side.
It remains unclear if kidney issues directly contributed to her death. Swiss President Alain Berset said: “With Tina Turner’s death, the world has lost an icon.”
The municipality of Kusnacht issued a statement, saying: “Tina Turner inspired people all over the world with her unique voice and touched many Kusnacht residents with her warmth and modesty. She was a proud citizen here.”
In 2021, Tina and Erwin are believed to have paid around £58million for what he said would be a “weekend retreat” for the couple. The 10-building waterfront estate in Stafa is also on the shores of Lake Zurich.
Tina relinquished her US citizenship in 2013 when she gained her Swiss citizenship. She then went to polling stations to take part in the frequent popular votes in the country, known for its direct democratic system.
