American musician Tina Turner
Credit: © Rob Verhorst, Redferns/Getty Images

Tina Turner was simply “The Best.” Turner was an American rhythm-and-blues and rock singer. She became known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” for her raspy voice and dynamic stage performances over a decades-long career. Turner died on May 24, 2023.

Turner was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, on Nov. 25, 1939. Her real name was Anna Mae Bullock. She met the guitarist-bandleader Ike Turner in an East St. Louis, Illinois, nightclub in 1956, and he later hired her as a singer. They performed together as Ike and Tina Turner and were married. The couple’s first hit record was “A Fool in Love” (1960). Their record “River Deep – Mountain High” (1966) became a big hit in the United Kingdom and increased their popularity in Europe. The couple’s best-selling record was “Proud Mary” (1971).

Ike and Tina separated in 1976 and were divorced in 1978. Tina then built her own career. Her greatest individual success as a singer came in 1984, when her Private Dancer album and its single “What’s Love Got to Do with It” became best-selling records. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with Ike. In 2021, Tina was inducted again, as a solo performer.

Turner had a small role in the motion picture Tommy (1975) and a major role in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Her autobiography I, Tina (1986) was made into the movie What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993). Turner also wrote the autobiography My Love Story (2018). In 2019, the musical Tina, based on her life, opened on Broadway. Turner wrote the self-help book Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good (2020).

Turner became a Kennedy Center honoree in 2005. She became a Swiss citizen in 2013. Turner won a number of Grammy Awards for her music, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Queen is a British rock band that gained international fame in the 1970′s. The original group members were, from left to right, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May. This photo shows the group performing at the Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival in Switzerland.
Credit: © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Images

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning pioneers in a variety of areas.

Halftime shows, cheers, and marching bands are well-known staples of sporting events. While fans cheer for their teams and order hot dogs from their seats, they will sing such classic songs as “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.”

These sporting-event anthems were recorded by the rock group Queen, which gained popularity in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Leading this band—just as a captain leads a sports team—was the British rock singer, songwriter, and musician Freddie Mercury (1946-1991). He was known for his soaring, operatic vocals and theatrical stage presence.

British musician Freddie Mercury
Credit: © Phil Dent, Getty Images

Mercury was born on Sept. 5, 1946, in Zanzibar, to Parsi parents from India. His real name was Farrokh Bulsara. He was given the nickname Freddie while attending a British boarding school. Around this time, he began taking piano lessons. He later played in rock and roll bands. In 1964, Bulsara’s family moved to Middlesex, England.

In the late 1960′s, Bulsara attended Ealing Art College in London. Around this time, he befriended several musicians in a local band called Smile. They were lead singer and bassist Tim Staffell, guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor. Inspired by the group, Bulsara began singing and playing piano with several rock groups. He joined Smile as lead singer after Staffell left the group. In 1970, encouraged by Bulsara, the group changed its name to Queen. Soon after, Bulsara changed his last name to Mercury. Bassist John Deacon joined the group in 1971.

The group’s first album, Queen, was released in 1973. The albums Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack were released in 1974. The group’s third album, A Night at the Opera (1975) was a breakthrough for the group. It featured the huge hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” written by Mercury. It has been called one of the greatest songs in rock and popular music. The song is a six-minute musical suite, containing several movements, including a piano ballad section; a layered, operatic vocal passage; and a charging, hard rock segment. A groundbreaking promotional music video accompanied the song’s release. Years before the era of MTV, when music videos became commonplace, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” video greatly added to the song’s popularity.

Queen combined hard rock and flamboyant (showy) “glam” rock with layered guitars and intricate vocal harmonies. Queen’s many hits include “Bicycle Race” (1978); “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Killer Queen,” and “You’re My Best Friend” (all 1979); “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (both 1980); “Somebody to Love” (1981); “Under Pressure” (with the British singer David Bowie, 1981); and “I Want to Break Free” and “Radio Ga Ga” (both 1984).

Mercury also performed as a solo artist. He recorded the albums Mr. Bad Guy (1985) and Barcelona (1988). He also recorded a number of singles, including “Time” (1986) and “The Great Pretender” (1987).

Mercury died of complications from AIDS on Nov. 24, 1991. Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.