At a small square near the port of Durrës stands a bronze statue of the American Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner, next to bronze statues of other legendary musicians: Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon. Turner is posing in her famous performance outfit, a mini-dress, and high heels, holding a microphone. Tina Turner (1939-2023) was born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee. She started her music journey in the church choir in Nutbush and Brownsville when she lived with her grandparents. After graduating high school, and frequently visiting R&B clubs, she joined Ike Turner’s band, the Kings of Rhythm. Soon, she became the lead vocalist and adopted the stage name Tina Turner. Not long after, she and Ike became a couple, married, toured the US, and released numerous singles, gaining national popularity. After a long time of suffering Ike’s physical and mental abuse, Tina, at 37, escaped, leaving everything behind. She kept a lower profile for several years to recover. Then, at 45, Tina released her first solo album, Private Dancer, positioning her on the world map as a leading and inspiring singer and performer. Throughout her career, Turner recorded ten albums, sold 200 million records, went on dozen worldwide tours, and received hundreds of awards and honors. She died at 83 in Switzerland. Turner performed in Eastern Europe on several of her tours, and even though she had never visited Albania, her popularity there has always been high. Also, her life story of suffering from domestic abuse for years and lifting herself to become a superstar singer inspired the Albanians, who suffered from several deadly conflicts and harsh life under the communist regime. Her statue has been a popular visiting place where people take pictures with her. Read more...