St. John’s was a ‘safe’ spot for Tina Turner, and Newfoundlanders remember her fondly

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Tina Turner is being remembered in Newfoundland and Labrador for her kindness, her connection with the province, and for the series of unforgettable shows she played in St. John’s to kick off the North American tour for her biggest album.

Geoff Meeker says the province had never seen anything like the four shows Turner and her band played at Memorial Stadium in 1985 to launch the North American tour for “Private Dancer.”

Meeker was a 28-year-old writer and editor with The Herald magazine at the time, and he says Turner was kind and gracious when he interviewed her or took photos of her at the events she attended in the city.

He said in an interview that Turner and her band arrived about a week before the shows and that she told local media she felt at ease walking around the city.

Newfoundlander Marit Stiles, then 15, says she was crushed when she couldn’t get tickets — but she says she was babysitting near the stadium during one show and could hear every song.

Now the leader of Ontario’s NDP, Stiles says she was proud the artist felt Newfoundland was a safe spot to launch the show that helped reinvent her career.

Turner died on Wednesday at the age of 83.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2023.

SHARE: