“This Is Not My Last Foray Into Music”: Tina Turner’s Secret Promise to Mick Jagger After Her Farewell Tour
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
When Tina Turner announced her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour in 2008, the world assumed it marked the end of an extraordinary era. After decades of defining and redefining what it meant to be the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll, Turner’s farewell felt final—a triumphant closing chapter to one of music’s most resilient legacies.
But behind the scenes, Turner had one more thing to say—and she said it to an old friend.
According to those close to the two icons, Turner shared a private, seven-word message with Mick Jagger, her longtime collaborator and confidant, shortly after announcing the tour:
“This is not my last foray into music.”
The remark, quietly delivered but deeply meaningful, proved to be a promise she would later fulfill in surprising ways.
🎤 The Farewell That Wasn’t the End
Tina Turner’s 50th Anniversary Tour, which ran from 2008 to 2009, was billed as her definitive goodbye to the stage. It was a spectacle of gratitude and power—her final bow before millions of fans who had followed her from her fiery 1960s beginnings through her record-breaking solo comeback in the 1980s.
Yet even as she announced her retirement from live performance, Turner made it clear to those close to her that her passion for music was far from extinguished. Her message to Jagger—equal parts declaration and reassurance—reflected her lifelong devotion to creativity.
And true to her word, Turner’s musical presence continued to echo well beyond the tour’s final curtain.
🎶 The Next Acts: Beyond the Stage
Although she officially stepped back from public performance in 2009, Turner’s post-retirement years were far from silent. She found new ways to engage with her craft—through storytelling, spirituality, and legacy-building.
1. The Musical: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
In 2018, Turner’s life and music were reborn on stage with the acclaimed Broadway and West End production Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Far from a passive consultant, she was actively involved in shaping the production, working closely with its creative team. Turner later admitted that the project “took me out of retirement,” reawakening her connection to performance through others.
2. Spiritual and Meditative Music
Away from rock arenas, Turner channeled her energy into Buddhist and spiritual recordings, including the Beyond projects—a collaboration blending Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu chants. These works reflected the serenity and balance she found later in life.
3. Documentaries and Remasters
Her voice also lived on through storytelling. In 2021, she co-produced the documentary Tina, a definitive reflection on her life and career. The project, along with re-releases of her classic material, introduced her story to a new generation.
💜 A Friendship Forged in Rock History
Her seven-word message to Jagger carried even deeper weight because of their decades-long bond—a friendship that began in the 1960s and shaped both of their artistic identities.
| Era | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 1960s | Turner and her then-husband Ike opened for The Rolling Stones during their 1966 and 1969 tours. Turner famously taught Jagger some of his signature dance moves. |
| 1980s | The two shared the stage at Live Aid (1985) for an electrifying duet of “It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (But I Like It).” They later performed together again during Jagger’s solo tour in 1988. |
| Mutual Respect | Turner once admitted she “always had a crush on Mick,” while Jagger called her “inspiring, warm, funny, and generous,” crediting her with helping shape his early stage persona. |
Their shared history of reinvention and raw showmanship made Turner’s message especially poignant—a passing of creative assurance between two of rock’s most enduring spirits.
🌅 A Lasting Legacy
After her official retirement, Turner settled into her life in Switzerland with her husband, Erwin Bach, embracing privacy and peace after a career that spanned more than five decades. Yet the “last foray” she promised Jagger never truly ended.
Her voice continued to echo through the artists she inspired, the stories she told, and the songs that defined generations.
In the end, Tina Turner didn’t need to be on stage to command the world’s attention. Her music—and her message—had already become timeless.
As Jagger once said, remembering her fiery energy and boundless heart:
“Tina never really stopped. She just changed the way she kept shining.”
