Earlier this week – on May 24 – the world lost a true icon in Tina Turner.
The legendary Queen of Rock’n’Roll died aged 83 on May 24 at her home in Küsnach, near Zurich, Switzerland, after enduring multiple health issues and personal tragedies over the past few years.
While the world collectively felt the loss of Tina – with the likes of Diana Ross and Barack Obama leading tributes – it’s easy to forget those who will feel her loss more personally. Including her widower, Erwin Bach.
During her successful career renaissance after leaving Ike, Tina met Erwin, a record label executive at EMI, in 1985.
Recounting the moment in the 2021 HBO documentary Tina, Erwin recalled, “I was asked to pick up Tina by her manager Roger [Davies]. When he said, ‘Tina, you ride with Erwin,’ I wanted to go, ‘Yay!’”
Tina mirrored his sentiment, adding, “He was really so good-looking. My heart was beating fast, and my hands were shaking. My hands were ice-cold. So this is what they call love at first sight, I thought. Oh my God, I am not ready for this.”
The pair fell in love. 27 years into their love story, they decided to tie the knot. They had a civil ceremony on the banks of Lake Zurich in Switzerland. Days later, the couple hosted a star-studded celebration at their luxurious Swiss residence, where the likes of Oprah Winfrey and David Bowie were among the 120 guests.
Giving so much of his life to the Proud Mary singer, Erwin reportedly has plans to continue their love story now that she has passed.
It is being said that he wishes to turn their $71M holiday home into an immersive experience that honors her stardom.
The sprawling property in Stäfa is just 30 minutes away from the mansion on the banks of Lake Zurich which the couple shared as their main residence.
According to Swiss newspaper Blick, it’s thought that Erwin could transform the retreat into a thoughtful and thrilling museum, displaying memorabilia from Tina’s unrivalled career.
While nothing has been confirmed, the idea could definitely appeal to a wide array of fans and fits in with similar moves carried out by the likes of Elvis Presley’s estate who famously turned Graceland into a tourist hotspot for music fans.
Other artists close to Tina’s level of world-wide fame have seen exhibitions set up to honor them in recent years too.
The V&A Museum in London holds a unique collection of David Bowie photographs, album sleeve artwork and memorabilia as part of their David Bowie Is exhibition, and ABBA have a permanent museum in Stockholm.
Considering Tina Turner’s career included everything from performing with the Rolling Stones and Cher to being awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005, her outfits, props and achievements would make the most fascinating collection.
