Tina Turner’s mother, Zelma Bullock, passed away in September 1999.
Tina Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock, had a complex relationship with her mother, Zelma. Zelma was a young mother, and her relationship with Tina’s father, Floyd Bullock, was fraught with difficulties. Tina’s early life was marked by separation from her parents; she and her sister were sent to live with their grandmother when their parents relocated in search of work.
Throughout her childhood, Tina’s interactions with her mother were intermittent. After her grandmother’s death, Tina moved back in with her mother for a short period before going to live with her father. The relationship between Tina and Zelma remained strained even as Tina rose to fame. In her autobiography “I, Tina,” Turner described her mother as distant and unloving, which deeply affected her.
Despite the strained relationship, Tina took care of Zelma financially once she became successful. Zelma’s health declined in her later years, and she eventually passed away in 1999. The loss of her mother was another chapter in Tina Turner’s tumultuous personal history, which she has spoken about openly in her music, her autobiography, and interviews. Tina’s resilience in the face of her challenging family dynamics is often cited as a testament to her strength and character.