Old footage showing Tina Turner surprising her friend and biggest fan Oprah Winfrey on her 50th birthday has gone viral in the wake of the singer’s passing.
On Wednesday, the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll passed away at her home in Switzerland after a long battle with her illness.
Thousands of high-profile musicians and fans alike have since taken to social media to pay The Best hitmaker a tribute and remember her incredible talent and passion for music.
Sparking an emotional response was also the touching video showing the late singer surprising her fan, Oprah Winfrey, on the TV host’s 50th birthday.
The celebration took place in 2004 when Tina flew from Switzerland to perform for Oprah on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
“This next surprise and gift flew all the way in from Switzerland,” John Travolta began as he introduced the singer to the audience and surprised Winfrey. “To tell you something, that you’re simply the best.”
Understanding the reference, Oprah jumped to her feet and screamed out loud before the curtain on the stage dropped and Tina walked out to perform her biggest hit in tribute to the show host.
The heartwarming clip has since Tina’s death resurfaced on the internet.
“I remember being little and feeling the exact same thing when I saw that!!!! Oprah was the most beautiful woman on Earth to me as a little kid! Those bambi eyes were just so magnetic to me,” someone wrote.
“I remember watching that episode and my mom crying when Tina came out. such an epic icon! This one hurts,” another recalled.
A third said: “Seeing Oprah starstruck is just phenomenal… great share. Tina Turner was a legend.”
The news comes shortly after Oprah paid a touching tribute to her good friend whom she idolized since she was young.
“I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends,” Winfrey recalled in her post.
“She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed.”
She continued: “Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph. I’m grateful for her courage, for showing us what victory looks like wearing Manolo’s and a leather miniskirt.
“She once shared with me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious. Because she had learned how to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends. I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best.”
What are your thoughts on this news? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!