Simply the worst!
A new statue of the late great singer Tina Turner has been branded “so disrespectful” after it was unveiled in the music icon’s hometown.
The 10-foot-high bronze statue, depicting the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with a microphone and in her signature miniskirt and heels, was unveiled on Saturday in the rural town of Brownsville, Tennessee, around an hour’s drive east of Memphis.
The statue was revealed during a ceremony at a park in Brownsville, located about an hour drive east of Memphis. AP
It stands near a museum honoring Turner, who died in May 2023 at age 83 in Zurich, Switzerland.
The sculpture aimed to capture the “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” belter’s flexibility and her iconic hairstyle, which Atlanta-based sculptor Fred Ajanogha compared to the “mane of a lion.”
But the grand unveiling was quickly met with derision and anger, as many fans branded it an insult to Turner’s memory.
“Whoever made that Tina Turner statue can burn in hell… and the death penalty for the ones who approved it,” one furious fan wrote on X.
“Why does this Tina Turner statue look like Ronald McDonald with a shaggy wig?” asked a second.
Karen Cook said she traveled from Georgia to attend the event with her friend, a cousin of Turner’s, to honor the legendary performer. AP
Another joked that the sculpture was more “Temu Turner.”
The video of the unveiling on Facebook also attracted bemusement.
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“That statue should have been kicked down after the unveiling,” one Facebook user wrote. “So disrespectful!”
The statue was funded by around 50 donors, including $150,000 from Ford Motor Co., which is building an electric truck factory nearby.
The statue shows Turner with her signature wild hairdo and holding a microphone, as if she was singing on stage. Obtained by NYPost
Turner died May 24, 2023 at age 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich. Obtained by NYPost
Saturday’s unveiling was part of the annual Tina Turner Heritage Days, celebrating the life of Brownsville’s most famous daughter.
“She’s a great artist, I love her music,” said Karen Cook, who traveled from Georgia for the event. “My mom listened to her a lot. It’s a big deal and a great thing for the community to have Tina Turner in her small town.”
With Post wires