Remembering a rock legend: A look back at Tina Turner’s iconic 1985 concert

Posted: May 25, 2023 10:36 am | Last Updated: August 18th, 2023 4:08 pm
By Web Team



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It was a concert that left an indelible mark on this province.

It was the summer of 1985 and Tina Turner was at the peak of her music career, launching a world tour right here in St. John’s. It would feature four shows from the Queen of Rock, the global superstar who spent much of that week entertaining fans. Those shows at Memorial Stadium are still remembered today, almost four decades later, as some of the greatest events to ever hit Newfoundland and Labrador’s shores.

Media mogul Geoff Stirling played a major role in Tina Turner’s visit to this province. In fact, the global superstar spent much of the week at events hosted by the Stirling family, from parties to charity softball games and, of course, one on one interviews. Stirling credits Turner as putting this province on the entertainment map.

For years, a picture of Geoff and Joyce Stirling and Tina Turner was the first picture guests would see as they entered The Newfoundland Herald building. That tour in ’85 was a golden moment for this province.

Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s, died Wednesday, after a long illness. She was 83.

Turner’s career spanned over five decades, beginning in 1957. She rose to stardom in the 1960s and ‘70s. In the 1980s, Turner launched “one of the greatest comebacks in music history”. Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer featured a number of hits, many of which were played to sell-out crowds at Memorial Stadium in ’85. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner is one of the best-selling artists of all-time. She won 12 Grammys and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her awards are endless and her legacy will live on for generations.

We take you for a look back at that moment in time, to 1985, for this archival special of Tina Turner’s memorable tour to this province.

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