Erwin Bach, Tina Turner’s Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Tina Turner, the legendary music icon who died at age 83, was married to second husband Erwin Bach at the time of her death.

Turner’s death on May 24, 2023, was confirmed through a post on her Facebook page.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the statement read. “With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Tina Turner Married Erwin Bach, Her Second Husband, in 2013, Describing Him as ‘a Force of Nature in His Own Right’ Who ‘Doesn’t Require the Dimming of My Light’

In 2013, Turner married her second husband Erwin Bach, described by Biography.com as a “German record executive.”

According to People Magazine, Turner and Bach “dated for 27 years” and were still married when she died.

Turner spoke in a book about why the marriage worked so well.

“We grant each other freedom and space to be individuals at the same time we are a couple,” the singer wrote in her book, “Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good,” according to People.

“Erwin, who is a force of nature in his own right, has never been the least bit intimidated by my career, my talents, or my fame. He shows me that true love doesn’t require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other’s lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together.”

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2. Tina Turner Received a Life-Saving Kidney From Her Husband, Erwin Bach

Tina Turner required a kidney transplant in 2017, and it was her second husband, Bach, who provided the kidney, according to Kidney Research UK.

She wrote about the transplant in her autobiography, “My Love Story.” According to Kidney Research UK, Turner’s health problems began with a stroke, but “a kidney from her second husband, Erwin Bach, not only saved Tina’s life but restored her belief in humanity following an abusive 14-year marriage to Ike Turner.”

Turner suffered years of health ailments, including intestinal cancer, the 2017 kidney transplant and a stroke, USA Today reported.

The cause of her death was not specified but came after “a long illness,” according to The Independent.

Kidney Research UK recounts how Turner wrote that she was shocked when Bach announced he wanted to give her a kidney. “I wondered if anyone would think that Erwin’s living donation was transactional in some way,” she wrote in her book, according to Kidney Research UK.

“Incredibly, considering how long we had been together, there were still people who wanted to believe that Erwin married me for my money and fame. What else would a younger man want with an older woman? Erwin always ignored the rumours,” she wrote.

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3. Tina Turner Said She Fell in Love With Erwin Bach at ‘First Sight,’ Describing How He ‘Had the Prettiest Face’

According to Oprah Daily, Turner’s relationship with Bach was also chronicled in an HBO documentary called “Tina.”

The site says they met when Bach, 30, picked up Turner, 47, at the airport before a concert.

She told Oprah Winfrey it was “love at first sight.” According to Oprah Daily, she said in the documentary, “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.”

Oprah Daily said that Turner described the airport meeting in her book, “Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good.”

“The day I first met Erwin, at an airport in Germany, I should have been too tired from my flight, too preoccupied with thoughts of my concert tour, and in too much of a hurry to get to my hotel to pay much attention to the young music executive who came from my record company to welcome me,” she wrote.

“But I did notice him, and I instantly felt an emotional connection,” she continued. “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.”

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4. Tina Turner Wrote on Instagram That Speaking to Erwin Bach Was ‘One of the Best Decisions of My life’

In 2021, Turner wrote about her love for Bach on her Instagram page.

“Erwin and I have been a couple for over 30 years. Did you know that I took the first step in our relationship? I left behind the fear of rejection and spoke to him. One of the best decisions of my life. Take heart! #LoveStays,” she wrote.

According to Independent, Turner “died at her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.”

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5. Tina Turner Was Married Once Before, to Ike Turner

Although she was born in Tennessee, Turner was raised in St. Louis in part, and that’s where she met Ike Turner and started her music career, according to Biography.com.

Tina Turner accused Ike Turner of abusing her, and they divorced in 1978, according to Biography.com.

Bach said in the documentary that Turner still had nightmares about the abuse, according to Oprah Daily. “When you talk to journalists over and over for 20, 30, 40 years, memories come back,” he said. “She has dreams about it that aren’t pleasant. These are the things that come back to her when she opens that box. It’s like when soldiers come back from the war. It’s not an easy time to have in your memory. You try to forget.”

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