This May 26, Beyoncé is in Paris for an event concert. The Stade de France is full for the show of the ex-Destiny Child, announced as grandiose and impressive.
For Philippe Manoeuvre, the American singer is the only one who can boast today of being the worthy heiress of Tina Turner, who died following a long illness on May 24. The opportunity for this rock expert to return to the one who was called, wrongly according to him, the "granny of rock".
Le Point: What does Tina Turner represent in rock history?
Philippe Manoeuvre: She's the queen of rock'n'roll. An exceptional singer. From the start, the public recognized his talent. His first 45s were a hit regionally. She had several careers. A rhythm'n'blues premiere with Ike Turner. But the more she advances in her career, the closer she gets to rock. Groups like the Rolling Stones want her as the opening act for their shows. She covers Creedence songs like Proud Mary, Stones like Honky Tonk Women, Beatles like Come Together. That's how she got into the rock world.
How does his voice differ from that of other artists?
She has a bluesy, yet raspy voice. Its timbre conveys the pain of the blues. She puts such a rage when she sings that she can tear the wallpaper off our walls. It's phenomenally powerful.
She is going through a difficult period in her career as an artist. What happened ?
An artistic career, on principle, never goes straight. You can't imagine making 30% more profit every year. She leaves Ike Turner, her husband, in Dallas in 1976. This guy is an inveterate cocaine addict, really a bad guy. He leaves her in a room with 10 dollars and a dress on her back. She hitchhikes to New York and escapes to England. His crossing of the desert begins at this time.
Me, I see it from 1979. It no longer fills the Palace. Some fans are starting to worry about his future. The meeting with his manager Roger Davies is a trigger in his reconstruction. The Australian recomposes a group for him with big names in rock. She released the disc I Can't Stand the Rain, which is a real pivot of her career. At that point, the rock world thinks she has what it takes to keep going. Never has a 40-year-old artist made a comeback like her. Behind, she becomes the first black woman to pose on the cover of a white rock magazine, the Rolling Stone Magazine.
Upon her return, she was referred to as the "Granny of Rock". What do you think ?
These are big bullshit. I never heard that. It is the lioness of R'n'B who arrives in rock. When you see Turner on stage, she's anything but a grandma. Have you seen his acting? Look at any DVD of her last tour in 2009. She's on stiletto heels. A true stage titan. On the set of Mad Max, no one had to call her grandma, it's unthinkable.
What does she leave behind?
Above all, she leaves a huge sadness in the rock industry. My rocker buddies who usually go to see Bruce Springsteen said to me, "It's a day of mourning." We just lost the greatest rock singer of all time. But his lineage is assured. She passes the torch to Beyoncé in 2008 at the Grammys, when they sing together. We can remember from her career that she is the record holder for the sale of concert tickets. She has sold 100 million records and 200 million concert tickets. She has given shows in Germany, where she holds the record for the biggest paying concert with 180,000 people. She does not leave four tracks, but about forty fantastic sounds.
Do you have a story about Tina Turner?
I knew Turner on the set of Mad Max. We stayed 12 days in the desert. We were working under 42 degrees. She wore armor, mail boots and an amazing wig. She drove a truck over a precipice. She didn't complain once. An assistant held a very small fan to try to cool her down. She was magnificently dignified. One evening, we celebrate his birthday. I'm the DJ for a night, in the club of a small village in the middle of the desert. I had the future sound of Madonna Like a Virgin. His reaction was incredible. She was overjoyed. She climbed onto the table and improvised a dance for us. An incredible show, all that, in front of the entire film crew. Music was his passion!
