SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Many have said that Tina Turner was simply the best.
“She’s a great entertainer. She’s a great artist. She’s an idol of mine,” Norman Braxton said.
Sadly, the idol for Braxton and others passed away at the age of 83 following a long illness.
“And it's difficult. You know because I never thought I'd be here standing talking about her to you. But I am sure she had a great life, and I enjoyed performing. I enjoyed carrying on her name,” Braxton, a female impersonator, said.
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And Braxton carried on her name in many ways.
He told ABC 10News he has been performing as Tina Turner for about 50 years.
“There was a Caucasian girl who worked before me at the club that I performed, and I was her back up as an Ikete; one of Tina’s backups. And when she quit the show, I took her title as Tina Tuner of San Diego,” Braxton said.
And it’s not just those who emulated the electric singer who are mourning this loss.
Folks flipped through the record racks at Vinyl Junkies in South Park to get their hands on Turner’s music.
"It's showstopping and angelic, and it makes you want to tear up when you hear stuff like this,” Adam Rolseth, a Tina Turner fan, said.
"She was a presence on stage with her dancing, her look, her raspy voice, but the power she sung with was incredible. Actually, The Rolling Stone had her as one of the best singers of all time,” Rob Molt from Vinyl Junkies Record Shack said.
The all-time performer will be sorely missed.
“It’s sad that she’s gone on, and we’re all going to miss her. I know I will. But, her legacy will go on in me,” Braxton said.
