Understanding the long-term feud between Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner
Reigning as the unequivocal Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin was a musical prodigy whose voice could effortlessly ascend to the celestial heights. As her devoted fans can attest, Franklin possessed not only unmatched musical brilliance but also a sharp wit, strong personality, and the occasional dash of delicious sarcasm when it came to those in the music industry whom she deemed less than worthy of comparison to her exceptional talents.
Equally, Tina Turner is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential recording artists of all time. Renowned for her powerful, raspy voice, Turner had a legendary and electrifying stage presence and an extensive career that spanned several decades. Turner’s life wasn’t without challenges, however, and she suffered the bleak realities of an abusive marriage along with financial difficulties, drug addiction, professional struggles, and health issues.
Although the Grammys incident is the most well-known part of Franklin and Turner’s feud, their rivalry supposedly originated earlier. Various sources claim that the pair were “heated rivals in life”, and their conflicts reportedly started before Turner and Ike’s divorce in 1978, when non-confirmed rumours circulated that Franklin had engaged in an affair with Ike.
Then, at the 2008 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé introduced Turner onto the stage by referring to her as ‘The Queen’. Watching from home, Franklin was apparently so incensed by this that she released a public statement regarding the issue: “I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé,” she wrote, “However I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy. In addition to that, I thank the Grammys and the voting academy for my 20th Grammy and love to Beyoncé anyway.“
Turner then responded with her own statement, claiming that Franklin “has always been like that” and that “her ego must be so big to think she was the only one”. However, Franklin issued the last word with another statement that read: “I have always appreciated what Tina Turner has to offer and had quietly cheered her on after Ike and her subsequent success. However, with respect to her statement concerning my ego, clearly, she was talking about herself, particularly since she does not have a clue as to who I am in view of the fact that we have never met.“
Adding: “I never figured her to resort to tacky press just to sell a few tickets. I understand, and I know that the concert market is down where ticket sales are concerned. I really had put her in a different class – higher than that. Finally, no one has been more gracious or complimentary to their peers than I have, and I am confident and secure enough to do so, unlike some others. I wish Ms. Turner all the best, as I always have. Perhaps one day we will meet.“
Following her death earlier this year, there were reports that Turner had made plans for a funeral that would “eclipse Aretha’s” — but whatever the truth may be, both artists had a significant impact on the musical landscape and live on as legends in their own right. Both Turner and Franklin undeniably had immensely successful careers, and it’s likely that, beneath any lingering bitterness, there also existed respect and acknowledgement of each other’s talent.
