In honor of the two-year anniversary of Tina Turner’s passing on May 24, 2023, a powerful new stage production is set to premiere in Hollywood.
“Simply The Best! – A Tina Turner Live Tribute Show” takes place on Sunday May 25, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles.
The show was created and developed by Tymeka Coney, who serves as the writer, director, and executive producer, alongside co-producer Lemo Coney of Meek Entertainment and PR.
Coney chose the anniversary weekend as the perfect moment to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Tina Turner. The upcoming production promises to be both emotional and electrifying, brought to life by a dynamic cast of actors, singers, dancers, and a live band.
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Stepping into the iconic role of Tina Turner is Yolanda “Yo,” who shared her deep connection to the legendary performer.
“As a professional singer, I stand on the shoulders of legends like Tina Turner. Performing her music is both an honor and a responsibility I take seriously, her legacy deserves to be celebrated.”
Joining her is Christopher Frazer as Ike Turner. Reflecting on his role, he said:
“I get to portray a very talented musician in a powerful, dramatic role. I’m extremely humbled to be part of continuing Tina’s musical legacy.”
Rounding out the production are Brooke Ivory, Jada Gosselin-Jones, Christal Carter, Lemo Coney, Terrance Watson Taylor, Zane St. Andre Jackson, Shanequa Reed, and a host of other talented performers from the Los Angeles area.
The show follows the incredible journey of Anna Mae Bullock, from her humble beginnings to international fame as Tina Turner. It also confronts the darker chapters of her life, including the well-documented abuse she endured.
Tina Turner’s story is more than music — it’s a symphony of sacrifice, strength, and survival. From Anna Mae Bullock to Tina Turner, her journey began in Nutbush, Tennessee, a “one-horse town” where you “have to watch what you’re puttin’ down,” as she sang in 1973’s “Nutbush City Limits.”
She described a difficult childhood marked by poverty and racial discrimination. By age 11, her mother had walked out, leaving Tina and her sister behind. When her father remarried, the girls were sent to live with their grandmother in Brownsville, Tennessee.
Turner’s earliest memories were steeped in gospel music, with her voice first finding freedom
in the church pews, never imagining those humble Sundays would crescendo into a legendary music career. After graduating high school in 1958, she took a job at a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with dreams of becoming a nurse. But fate had other plans. One night at a local nightclub, she met musician Ike Turner, a meeting that would change her life forever.
In the late 1960s, she stepped into the spotlight as the electrifying frontwoman of the husband-and-wife duo, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner’s band, the Kings of Rhythm, and the backing vocalists known as the Ikettes, the group delivered some of the
most unforgettable soul and rock hits of that era. But behind the curtain, Turner endured years
of emotional and physical abuse, pain she would later speak about publicly with courage and clarity.
By 1976, she made the life-altering decision to walk away from it all, with nothing but her
name and an unbreakable will to survive.
That moment became her rebirth.
Following her divorce from Ike, Turner was left without a record contract or a safety net. But with the help of her manager, Roger Davies, and a new creative team of songwriters, and producers she launched one of the most legendary comebacks in music history.
In 1984, the release of “Private Dancer” marked her triumphant return to the charts. The single
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” soared to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her,
at 44, the oldest female solo artist at the time to top the chart. The song became an anthem of love, loss, and liberation, and earned her the Grammy for Record of the Year.
Turner’s “Private Dancer Tour” established her not just as a comeback story, but as a solo artist and performer.
Turner proved true talent transcends age, boundaries and genres. Turner was an accomplished songwriter, and widely regarded as one of the greatest singers, and performers of all time. Her story is one of quiet grace and recognition – filled with honors, meaningful awards and unforgettable accomplishments.
For tickets or information, visit meekentprpresents.com.
