Tina Turner: NASA leaves fans 'sobbing' after touching tribute to 'sparkling' Queen of Rock & Roll

Virgin Radio

25 May 2023, 12:42

Tina Turner fans were left in tears after NASA shared a surprisingly beautiful tribute to the legendary artist.

The iconic singer passed away aged 83 on Wednesday (24th May), with the news confirmed via a statement which read: “Tina Turner, the 'Queen of Rock'n Roll' has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model."

The artist’s official Instagram account posted: “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music.”

Legends from music and entertainment, including Sir Elton John, Mariah Carey and Mick Jagger, shared their tributes to Tina on social media, but one of the most heartwarming posts came from an unlikely source - the US space agency, NASA. 

Sharing a high-quality photo of a cluster of stars in the night sky, the official NASA account wrote: “Simply the best. Music legend Tina Turner sparkled across the stage and into millions of hearts as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Her legacy will forever live among the stars.”

The incredibly detailed photo also featured another touching alternative caption, which read: "Closeup of a cluster of tightly-packed stars as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The sparkles are reminiscent of Tina Turner’s sparkly dresses she would wear on stage. The center of the cluster has the most stars, where most are blue and white. Red and orange stars are found farther from the center.”

Fans of the singer were bowled over by the sentimental share by the science experts, with many left reaching for the tissues at the stunning tribute. 

Replying underneath the photo, one fan commented: “NASA making me sob wasn't on my list today. That was beautiful. Rest in Power Tina.”

Another wrote: “i'm not crying. it's just really dusty,” while a third said: “Thank you @NASA this is stunning. What a tribute #TinaTurner.”

Born Anna-Mae Bullock in 1939 in Tennessee, Tina’s rise to fame began as the lead singer of Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She would go on to sell over 100 million records worldwide over the course of a career spanning 60 years.

In the UK, she was the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades, with a total of 35 UK top 40 hits.

She is survived by her husband Erwin Bach and two of her four children.