Lizzo knew what she had to do. After Tina Turner passed away on Wednesday, Lizzo, 35, and her team pulled together a tribute to Tina that was, as Lizzo put it, a perfect way to “celebrate her life.” In a green sequined gown and big hair, Lizzo took to the stage of the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. As the opening chords of “Proud Mary” began, Lizzo started to sing the Creedence Clearwater Revival song that Tina made her own with her soulful and energetic cover.
Just like Tina’s version, Lizzo’s take on the CCR song was an explosion of joy and love — specifically to the 83-year-old icon who passed away. Lizzo stripped away her gown to reveal a bodysuit, and her backup dancers – dressed in the same way – joined her on the stage. From there, they nailed Tina’s signature choreography. “We love you, Tina Turner!” Lizzo shouted at the end while looking heavenward.
Tina “died peacefully today [May 24] at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland,” her family said in a statement. Tributes to the late “Simply The Best” singer flooded in. ” “I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer,” wrote Mick Jagger.
“She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life,” mourned Oprah Winfrey. “She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.” Beyonce penned a tribute to Tina, writing that she will “love you endlessly” and that she was “so grateful for your inspiration and all the ways you have paved the way.”
Angela Bassett, who played Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It?, wrote about how Tina “owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world,” referring to her abusive relationship with Ike Turner.
Through her courage in telling her story,” added Bassett, “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.”