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The Legendary Tina Turner Passes Away At 83
She Was "Simply The Best"
In another lifetime, I owned a company that sold merchandise at special events including concerts. My contracts were with the building; when an artist like Tina Turner came through, they'd consign the merchandise to me. We'd count it, display it, sell it, count the returns at the show's end, and ensure everyone got their money. I probably worked 5–6 Tina Turner concerts; each was a magnificent show.
Because we were in the building working, we got to hear the artist's sound check. Usually, for an individual artist, it lasts 20–30 minutes as they check sound levels and mark spots on the stage for Tina, in this case, to stand/sit/dance as they perform certain songs. It's also a time to work out mistakes from the night before, if any. On one occasion, I watched Tina run a one and-1/2-hour sound check as she made sure everyone got things right. Maybe her ex-husband Ike Turner was a taskmaster, but Tina could be just as tough.
Most people's favorite Tina Turner song was "Proud Mary." She and her dancers started out "nice…
