“Proud Mary” feared she had put herself “in great danger” months before dying.
In her penultimate Instagram address, Tina Turner — who died Wednesday at age 83 following a bout with cancer, a stroke and kidney troubles — revealed to her nearly 1 million followers that she had unwittingly gambled with her health.
“Kidneys fail without pain,” the 12-time Grammy winner said in the caption of her post, shared March 9 in honor of International World Kidney Day.
“I have put myself in great danger by refusing to face the reality that I need daily, lifelong therapy with medication,” continued Turner, née Anna Mae Bullock, a native of Nutbush, Tennessee.
The “What’s Love Got to Do With It” megastar’s words of caution were penned beneath a photo of herself marked with the quote: “If I had known how high blood pressure and kidney disease are connected, I would have been spared a lot of suffering.”
Tina Turner informed fans that she’d put herself “in great danger” just months before her death.TinaTurner_PhotoPoster
Turner confessed to her Instagram fanbase that she failed to properly care for her high blood pressure and failing kidneys. Getty ImagesElsewhere in the caption, Turner advised: “Show your kidneys love! They deserve it.”
She added, “My kidneys are victims of my not realizing that my high blood pressure should have been treated with conventional medicine.”
Here's what to know about legendary singer Tina Turner
The “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died at 83 on Wednesday after a prolific career that spanned decades.
Tina — who was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2021 — sold more than 100 million records worldwide throughout her career, with songs including the anthemic hit “The Best” and her solo comeback single “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
She scored her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song, which kicked off her 1980s career resurgence.
Tina was 44 at the time, making her the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100 chart.
The singer and actress had 12 total Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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“For far too long I believed that my body was an untouchable and indestructible bastion,” wrote Turner in closing, before urging fans to learn more about kidney and organ health.
She had reportedly suffered a stroke in 2013, three years before being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016. She underwent a kidney transplant in April 2017.
A spokesperson for “The Best” singer announced she died peacefully at her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.
