How Tina Turner's Husband Erwin Bach Once Saved Her Life

Erwin Bach, Tina Turner's partner of more than three decades, saved her life in more ways than one.

For starters, he made the legendary artist believe in love again. Prior to their relationship, Tina had been married to fellow musician Ike Turner, with whom she shared four kids. The "Proud Mary" singer endured physical and emotional abuse throughout their tumultuous marriage, which ended in 1976 when Tina managed to escape with nothing but the clothes on her back, 36 cents, and a Mobil credit card. "I was living a life of death," she told People. "I didn't exist. I didn't fear him killing me when I left, because I was already dead. When I walked out, I didn't look back." Nearly a decade later, she met Bach, a music executive who she would later realize was the love of her life. "Falling in love with my husband, Erwin, was another exercise in leaving my comfort zone, of being open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer," she wrote in her memoir, "Happiness Becomes You" (via People).

Tina and Bach were together for 37 years, 10 of which they were married. And in those years, Bach had been with her through thick and thin, including the period when she experienced a string of illnesses, including a stroke and kidney failure. At the time, Bach didn't hesitate to donate one of his kidneys to his wife.

In the later part of her life, Tina Turner experienced a life-threatening illness that had her contemplating medically-assisted suicide, which was legal in Switzerland, where she lived with Erwin Bach. In an essay she wrote for the European Kidney Health Alliance, the singer confessed to mismanaging her hypertension due to her aversion to traditional medicine, leading her to resort to homeopathic alternatives. Sadly, it led to decreased kidney function, which forced her to go into dialysis.

In her book, "My Love Story," she wrote that she felt so helpless at the time that she considered euthanasia. "I faced two choices: either regular dialysis or a kidney transplant. It wasn't my idea of life. But the toxins in my body had started taking over. I couldn't eat. I was surviving, but not living," she penned (via Bang Premier). "I began to think about death... There are several organizations that facilitate the process, including Exit and Dignitas. I signed up to be a member of Exit, just in case."

But then Bach decided to donate one of his kidneys, which she refused at first. "I was overwhelmed by the enormity of his offer," she added. "But because I love him, my first response was to try to talk him out of taking such a serious and irreversible step." The transplant happened in 2017, and admittedly, Tina had conflicted feelings about the whole thing. "I wondered if anyone would think that Erwin's living donation was transactional in some way," she said. Bach, for his part, never regretted it at all. In an interview with The New York Times, he said: "And I would do it again."

When Tina Turner and Erwin Bach met, Tina was convinced that it was love at first sight. Bach entered her life when she "needed to love a person," and his timing couldn't be more perfect. "He was another kind of handsome," she shared in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "Great eyes. So I got in the car with Erwin, and my heart was bu-bum already. My hands were wet, and I thought, 'Oh, my God. This is love at first sight.'"

Despite their significant age difference, Tina took to Bach. According to her, he was different than anyone else she's met. "[I was] forty-six. I didn't know he was 30, and I didn't care," she said. "Erwin was more mature than most 30-year-olds. I've observed older men, especially the more conservative ones who wear suits all the time. There's a grumpiness that doesn't allow for laughter and fun." They were together for 27 years before deciding to marry in 2013, and per Tina, it was a day she would never forget.

"Some of the happiest moments in my life were the birth of my beautiful baby boys, Craig and Ronnie, and marrying my partner and soul mate, Erwin Bach," she shared with Today. "As for my music, achieving No. 1 with my song 'What's Love Got to Do with It' and receiving multiple Grammy Awards were thrilling moments, and performing for my fans always felt so great, like I was flying."