23 June 2023 , 19:28
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Sir Rod Stewart is to pay an emotional tribute to “wonderful” Tina Turner on his tour.
Tina, who died, aged 83, last month, struck up a friendship with Rod in the early 1980s before they famously duetted on It Takes Two in 1990.
Sir Rod, 78, told the Mirror: “I can’t say enough about her. She was a wonderful, wonderful, woman.
“Never swore. Never lost her temper. Always smiling. I am going to put up a picture of her on tour and do a song for her.”
Sir Rod will sing It Takes Two in Tina’s honour, with her part sung by his three female backing singers.
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Rod, Ronnie Wood and Tina in ’93 (Popperfoto via Getty Images)He will also honour Jeff Beck – his old bandmate in The Jeff Beck Group – who died, aged 78, in January.
Sir Rod has previously been credited for helping Tina’s comeback after she was left penniless following her divorce from Ike Turner in 1978.
Sir Rod said: “I think me, Jagger and Bowie all came in at the same time and helped to lift her career to a new level.”
Rod with wife Penny Lancaster (penny.lancaster/Instagram)Her solo music career was stuttering until Sir Rod hired her to open his US tour in 1981, as he loved her new rock and blues style.
Her profile also soared after she made her Saturday Night Live debut singing Hot Legs with him. Another major turning point came in 1981, when she was invited to open for the Rolling Stones, while David Bowie was also a huge fan.
Sir Rod is playing Plymouth, Northampton, Durham, Bristol, Hull and Edinburgh from June 24.
The Mirror revealed this week how Sir Rod had produced a new Scotch called Wolfie’s Whisky.