Tina Turner’s 2nd Husband Loves Her So Much He Donated Kidney to Save Singer’s Life

Most Tina Turner fans are very familiar with her hellish relationship with her ex-husband Ike Turner. In fact, the experience was so horrible that the legendary singer never thought she would marry again. Despite this, she was able to find a second opportunity for love and positively nailed it!

Unexpected Love

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Her second husband, Erwin Bach, is a music producer who loves her with all his heart. In fact, Erwin proved his undying devotion by donating one of his kidneys to save her life.[1]

Tina Turner’s first marriage was a nightmare, Ike Turner was abusive both emotionally and physically, and thankfully, their marriage didn’t last as she finally left him after fourteen years. Because of her trauma, Tina wasn’t confident she would ever find love again, much less marriage. But when she first saw Erwin, she just knew he was the one!

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Tina and Erwin first met in 1985 when the 30-year-old German music executive was assigned to pick her up at the airport in Germany. During this time, Tina was 47 and already a music icon. She says for her. It was “love at first sight.”

“He had the prettiest face. You could not miss it. It was like saying, ‘Where did he come from?’ He was really that good looking. My heart went bu-bum. It means that a soul has met. My hands were shaking.” she recalled in a documentary. “Even then, I could have ignored what I felt—I could have listened to the ghost voices in my head telling me that I didn’t look good that day, or that I shouldn’t be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart. I left my comfort zone and made it a priority to get to know Erwin.” (2)

From Erwin’s Perspective

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As Erwin says, their connection wasn’t as instantaneous for him as it was for Tina. When he met her, he was in work mode and never considered she was in love with him. And he wasn’t really looking for love either. He was simply doing his job by picking up a superstar from the airport. But, it was for this reason that he didn’t feel nervous in her presence. In fact, he was pretty relaxed. And the pair got along very well.

When he learned Tina was interested in him, Erwin decided to pay her a little visit to Nashville. After that, the executive continued to visit her whenever their schedules permitted. Tina described Ewrwin as someone that’s “so different” from her ex-husband. He was cool, laid-back, comfortable, and unpretentious. Their love continued to flourish, and today, they’ve been together for over three decades.

“It’s love. It’s something we both have for each other. I always refer to it as an electrical charge. I still have it. Even though when I left her two hours ago, I still have that feeling. It’s in my heart. I feel very warm about this.” said Erwin.

He Never Gave Up on Her

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In 1989, for Tina’s 50th birthday, Erwin popped the question. However, despite her deep love for him, she didn’t say yes at that time. But, neither did she say no. Tina simply told him that she did not have an answer. To her, marriage was a terrifying concept filled with lots of bad memories. It represented ownership and brought up a lot of feelings from her past she did not want to relive. However, Erwin understood and did not take her answer as a reason not to continue their relationship. They continued to date, with Tina eventually moving to Zurich, where the two still live.

Finally, 27 years after they started dating, Tina finally accepted Erin’s proposal. The two married at their lakeside estate in Switzerland with over 200 attendees.

Tina’s Health Scare

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After she retired from performing in 2009, Tina suffered several health issues. In December 2016, her doctors diagnosed the star with kidney cancer. At that point, she had only two options, a transplant or dialysis.

“Only the transplant would give me a good chance of a near-normal life. But the chances of getting a donor kidney were remote.” she wrote in her book My Love Story.

That’s when the love of her wife stepped up. She said that he told her he never wanted another woman nor another life; he only wanted her. Therefore, to save the woman he loves, he would donate one of his kidneys. Thankfully, the transplant was a smashing success!

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Erwin has since been by Tina’s side through her many highs and lows. These include the death of her son, her Broadway musical’s big debut, and her HBO Documentary, which she made to be a touching farewell to her American fans as she quietly bowed out of the spotlight. Tina Turner and Eric Bach are proof that honest, loyal, and true love really does exist.

You can watch a video in which Tina Turner talks about her dark past and her bright future with the man she loves below.

Sources

  1. “Tina Turner’s 2nd Spouse Sacrificed an Organ to Save Her Because He ‘Didn’t Want Another Woman’” Tiffy Taffy. Julie Hambelton. April 28, 2022.
  2. LEGEND How long was Tina Turner married to Ike?” The Sun. Patrizia Rizzo. March 26, 2021.
  3. Tina Turner Fell in Love With Her Husband, Erwin Bach at First Sight.” Oprah Daily. Elena Nicolaou. March 25, 2021.