Tina Turner was in her element on stage, delivering stunning performances. According to AFP, when the lights went out, the “Queen of the Year” was enjoying the Swiss tranquility of her new home.

Far from the hustle and bustle, the megastar lived a quiet life in the small town of Kuesnacht, a wealthy suburb of the financial capital of Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Zurich.

Many locals came to lay flowers outside her luxury Chateau Algonquin residence on Thursday and recalled seeing her at local restaurants and supermarkets.

In 1995, the singer moved to Switzerland with her partner, 67-year-old German producer Erwin Bach. She lived in Küsnacht until her death on Wednesday at the age of 83 after a long illness.

“We knew her personally, so we are sad,” the city’s mayor, Markus Ernst, told AFP. “She was really very happy here. I think he really found a place where he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He was looking for peace and quiet,” he added. “He really fell in love with Küsnacht.

A star… and a model citizen – Tina Turner

In 2013, three months after marrying Erwin Bach and obtaining Swiss citizenship, Tina Turner even renounced her American one.

Swiss President Alain Berse paid tribute to her after learning of her death, writing on Twitter: “With the death of Tina Turner, the world has lost a model (…) who found a second home in Switzerland.”

In 2021, the University of Bern awarded him an honorary doctorate for his “unique musical creativity and artistic life”.

Tina had to study German and Swiss civics in order to pass the exams required to obtain Swiss citizenship, and was described by the local press as a model citizen. She participated in frequent “popular votes”, local or national referenda, which are a hallmark of the Swiss political system.

Eternal

As in other parts of Switzerland, in Küsnacht, which has a population of about 14,000, discretion and respect for privacy is almost a religion.

Tina Turner “felt like a part of this city” and that, in turn, “she meant a lot to us,” its mayor Marcus Ernst testified.

The singer even financed the city’s Christmas decorations. On Thursday, workers returned them to lampposts on the main street of Küsnacht as a tribute to the great star.

She also gave her name “Tina” to the lifeboat that has been patrolling Lake Zurich for the past ten years.

The house in which he lived, set back from the main street, overlooks the lake and is surrounded by a luxurious garden. Rosanna Salazar hung a poster on the gate that read, “200 million records sold. Eight Grammy Awards. Only one Tina Turner.”

“I lived here for ten years. We care about Tina,” the 56-year-old woman told AFP. “She had a terrible childhood, abandoned by Ike Turner and abused, but here in Switzerland she found her happy ending. People here left her alone.”

Her neighbors, of course, appreciated her music, but they also appreciated the power she radiated, the mayor recalls.

“A lot of people looked up to her,” he said. “It will take time to get used to the fact that we have lost Tina forever. But I am sure that, one way or another, she will live forever.”

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