Simply the Best

I was pleased to see that Tina Turner is amongst the most recent recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. Tina Turner has always been one of my favorite performers and I've had the pleasure of seeing her six times (1978, 1985, 1987, 1997 and twice during her farewell tour in 2000). The first time I saw her was at the Dallas Fairmont Hotel's Brasserie Room. I was all of 17 and didn't know much about Tina or what she did but a friend who worked there got me in for free and I rarely pass up free things.

I was blown away by this woman! Seeing her from 40 feet with about 100 other people, I remember thinking to myself that she was truly incredible and really should be playing stadiums. Within a few short years she was. If you've never seen Tina Turner live, the only way I can describe her is this hot blast of sensual energy hitting the stage. The woman goes and goes and goes for 2 hours (in stiletto heels no less) and always finished the show with her trademark Proud Mary (it's hers even if CCR wrote it). Even at the last show when she was 61 years old, she virtually outdanced her backup dancers who were less than half her age. As Oprah said at the awards ceremony, seeing Tina live was something that one should "Add ... to the list of things you do before you die." Her life story and her vitality can provide us all with lessons in persistance and the fact that age is really just a number.

The Kennedy Center Honors will be shown on December 27th.