Tina Turner has paid tribute to her 62-year-old son Ronald “Ronnie” Turner, who died unexpectedly on Thursday.
“Ronnie, you departed the world much too soon. “In grief I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son,” the Grammy-winning singer said in the caption for a black-and-white Instagram snapshot of herself with her eyes closed and in a thoughtful stance on Friday.
Afida Turner, Ronnie’s spouse, confirmed the news on Instagram on Friday. Ronnie was discovered trying to breathe in a San Fernando Valley residence, where paramedics had been dispatched. Rescue personnel attempted CPR, but he was declared deceased.
Afida Turner captioned a series of photos of her late husband with the following: “My god Ronnie turner a true angel huge soul highly spiritual my husband my best friend my baby iyour [sic] mother your nurse I did the best to the end this time I was not able to save you love u for this 17 years this is very very very bad I am very mad.”
“This is a tragedy, along with your brother Craig, your father Ike Turner, and your mother Aline,” she added.
Ronnie had apparently suffered from a variety of health conditions, including cancer, in recent years, but the cause of death was unknown.
Craig, Tina’s oldest son, committed suicide at age 59 in 2018.
The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, who turned 83 on November 26 and had a total of four kids, endured a lifetime of suffering, including an abusive relationship with ex-husband Ike Turner while performing in his rhythm and blues band, the Kings of Rhythm. Ike died in 2007 at age 76.
The Tennessee-born “Proud Mary” singer underwent a kidney transplant in 2015, four years after surviving a stroke in 2013. Tina confessed in a 2021 documentary titled “Tina” that she “didn’t spend much time” with her sons.
»Tina Turner laments her son’s untimely passing: ‘You left the world far too soon.’«