As a young girl growing up in Tennessee, Anna Mae Bullock liked to sing and recite movie dialogue to entertain her family. By age 20 she had a new name—Tina Turner—and a burgeoning music career with her partner, Ike. But behind the scenes, he was abusing her. Eventually, she found the courage to leave him and move on as a chart-topping, world-touring solo artist. She now lives out of the spotlight in Switzerland and recently released a new book,
Tina Turner, October 1996
| Anton Corbijn/Getty Images
HBR: You’ve had so many ups and downs in your life and career. What have you learned?