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Tina Turner's funeral sees music legend cremated as friends say final goodbyes

08 July 2023 , 08:33
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Tina Turner
Tina Turner's funeral was a small affair after the music legend's death in May

Tina Turner ’s funeral has reportedly taken place as family and close friends say their final goodbyes to the music legend.

The Queen of Rock 'n Roll has now been cremated in Switzerland, according to RadarOnline.

It is not known where her ashes are but it source said Tina wanted her final resting pace to be somewhere close to her heart. When her firstborn son died in 2018, she scattered his ashes in the Pacific Ocean.

Oprah Winfrey, a close friend of Tina, and the singer's husband Erwin Bach led a small group to a low-key memorial.

Tina died "peacefully" at her home in Kusnacht near Zurich in Switzerland on Wednesday 24 May. We exclusively reported in May that the funeral would be a “small private affair” with few family members.

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Tina Turner's funeral sees music legend cremated as friends say final goodbyesTina Turner has been laid to rest after her death in May (AP)

Eddy Hampton “Armani”, who was Tina’s personal assistant for more than 20 years, said: “She did not want a big public funeral. She wanted to be cremated and I expect it to be a small, very private affair. I am sure there will be some kind of memorial concert and tribute later. It will be for her very close friends in Switzerland, and her manager. It will not be a big family occasion.”

Eddy, 65, kept in touch with the star after she settled in Kusnacht, Switzerland in 1994. He had supported her through her abusive marriage to Ike Turner until she found happiness with Erwin Bach, her devoted second husband, who was by her side when she died of natural causes in Switzerland in May.

Eddy, an American now based in London, said Tina had “left the past behind” after the tragic loss of her two sons. She had long been battling high blood pressure and kidney failure and passed away of natural causes.

According to Page Six, the Proud Mary hitmaker never managed to meet her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in her lifetime. Twanna Turner, Ike Turner's daughter from his relationship with Pat Richards, told the publication: "No-one had heard from Tina in a while, it happened so suddenly. It's time to heal. The family really wants and needs to heal, they have gone through so much, and they continue to go through so much."

Tina Turner's funeral sees music legend cremated as friends say final goodbyesTina's husband Erwin Bach lead a small, private funeral for close friends and family (Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Tina Turner had two biological children. Her first son Raymond Craig, whom she had with saxophonist Raymond Hill, was born when she was just 18 years old. Raymond, who went by Craig, died by suicide in July 2018 at the age of 59, after a history of struggling with drug abuse.

Tina's second child Ronnie, who she had with her ex-husband Ike Turner, died from colon cancer at the age of 62 in December 2022. Through Ronnie, Tina had two grandchildren Randy and Raquel, who were raised by Ronnie's widow Afida Turner.

They reportedly never got to meet their famous grandmother, along with Rquel's sons Tyson and Tyrese. According to sources, Tina couldn't make it to Ronnie's funeral in Los Angeles. It is believed this was because of her own failing health.

Tina also had two adoptive sons, Ike Turner Jr. and Michael Turner. Michael has a daughter, Tiffany Turner-Dukes, who in turn has three children - daughter Marli and sons Amari and Gianni - with her husband. While Tina's grandchildren and great-grandchildren never met the iconic singer, their family say they all appear to have inherited the musical gene.

Jessica Gibb

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