JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER On TINA TURNER: 'Her Legend Will Live Forever'

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner has paid tribute to Tina Turner. The pioneering rock singer passed away on Wednesday (May 24) after a long illness. She was 83 years old.

Faulkner commented on Turner's death during an appearance Wednesday on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What an icon. What an absolute, global, universal icon. I can't believe it, really. She had a good run — 83 years old. But an absolute icon.

"I was introduced to Tina Turner via the Bryan Adams 'Reckless' album. She'd done a song with him — 'It's Only Love', I think it was called," he continued. "And I was a massive fan of Bryan Adams, and still am a massive fan of Bryan Adams and that record. And I remember being introduced to that voice as it came over the speakers, and it obviously went from there. But just an incredible voice, an incredible career and just an iconic human being, really. So she will be sadly missed. But her legend will live forever. So, rest in peace, Tina."

Turner had battled several health issues in recent years, including being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and having a kidney transplant in 2017.

With a career spanning more than half a century, the legendary singer, dancer, actress and author was not only one of the world's most popular and successful entertainers, but the beloved global icon widely regarded as the "Queen Of Rock 'N' Roll".

Among her many accomplishments, the revered singer had received 12 Grammy Awards, was the first black artist and the first female artist to feature on the cover of Rolling Stone and was awarded the Légion D'honneur by the French government. One of the world's best-selling artists of all time, her live performances have been seen by millions. First inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as half of IKE & TINA TURNER, she was inducted in her own right as a solo artist in a ceremony in October 2021.

Born as Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, Turner first rose to fame in the 1960s, partnering with then-husband Ike Turner, as the lead singer of the IKE & TINA TURNER REVUE, acclaimed for her live performances and catalog of hits, including "River Deep - Mountain High" and "Proud Mary". Turner's well-publicized divorce and hardships ultimately forced her to virtually all but disappear from the music scene. By the 1970s, she began practicing Buddhism and rebuilt her life by tapping into her spiritual strength.

She celebrated her newfound freedom in 1975 with the role of the Acid Queen in the film version of THE WHO's "Tommy", delivering an outrageous, but all-too-brief performance.

She continued to release several albums during the late 1970s, but it was in 1984 that her career went stratospheric with 1984's "Private Dancer" going five times platinum in the U.S. and selling 10 million copies worldwide, spawning megahits, including "What's Love Got To Do With It", "Better Be Good To Me", the title track and a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". The album would earn her widespread recognition and numerous awards, including three Grammys.

A string of hit albums followed, including "Break Every Rule", "Foreign Affair" and "What's Love Got To Do With It". Hit singles included "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Lose You", "I Don't Wanna Fight" and "Goldeneye". Successful duets with David Bowie and Mick Jagger showed her ability to perform on an equal footing with the greats of rock 'n' roll.

With another movie role in 1985, "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome", she found another hit in its theme song, "We Don't Need Another Hero", establishing her high-profile status well into the '90s.

As an author, her bestselling memoir, "I, Tina", became the 1993 Academy Award-nominated film "What's Love Got To Do With It", while her follow-up book, "My Love Story", was a global success in 2018. Additionally, Turner's eventful life has been immortalized in at least three documentaries including HBO's 2021 production "Tina", while her story has recently been staged as the biographical musical "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" — becoming one of the most successful stage shows on Broadway and London and was honored by a Tony award and an Olivier award.