Angela Bassett is reflecting on her final words with the late Tina Turner, who died at the age of 83 on Wednesday.
“How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world?” the actress, who played Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” shared in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her, Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion and freedom should look like,” she continued.
“Her final words to me — for me — were, ‘You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world,'” she revealed.
“I shall hold these words close to my heart for the rest of my days. I am honored to have known Tina Turner.”
Bassett continued on, saying she is “humbled” to have been given the chance to tell Turner’s story — which garnered her an Oscar nomination.
Here's what to know about legendary singer Tina Turner
The “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died at 83 on Wednesday after a prolific career that spanned decades.
Tina — who was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2021 — sold more than 100 million records worldwide throughout her career, with songs including the anthemic hit “The Best” and her solo comeback single “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
- Tina Turner dead at 83: Magic Johnson, Ciara and more react
- Tina Turner beams in final public appearance before death: ‘Keep on rocking!’
- Tina Turner admitted kidney disease put health in ‘great danger’ 2 months before death
She scored her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song, which kicked off her 1980s career resurgence.
Tina was 44 at the time, making her the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100 chart.
The singer and actress had 12 total Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
READ MORE
“So on today, while we mourn the loss of this iconic voice and presence, she gave us more than we could have ever asked. She gave us her whole self. And Tina Turner is a gift that will always be ‘simply the best.’ Angels, sing thee to thy rest … Queen,” she concluded.
Just hours earlier, Turner’s team announced that she passed away after a “long” battle with an unnamed illness.
While it’s unclear what sickness Turner was dealing with at the time of her death, she admitted in March that her health was in “great danger” due to kidney disease.
Yet prior to her passing, Turner was able reciprocate her feelings of adoration and respect for Bassett in a beautiful tribute written for Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 list.
Recalling the first time she met the “Black Panther” star, Turner said she could instantly “see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination, and big, big dreams, just like me.”
“’She’s perfect,’ I said, and I was right,” Turner wrote.
The late songstress went on to praise Bassett’s “conviction, truth, dignity, and grace” noting that she is, and always has been, “perfect.”
Turner and Bassett were able to maintain their friendship over the years, despite the “Best” singer spending most of her time in Switzerland.
In 2018, Bassett supported Turner by attending her Broadway musical and she was later interviewed for the singer’s HBO documentary, “Tina,” which came out in 2021.
