Before Ariana or Demi, Lizzo or Beyonce, there was the indefatigable Tina Turner.

"As I'm about to turn 80, I'd like to think I've become wise in some ways," the Tennessee native toldRolling Stone. As a superstar who reached the zenith of her career when she was 44, she defies anyone who says there are no second acts in life. Surviving an abusive marriage to Ike Turner, the dead air of the 80s when American media overlooked black artists, and serious health complications (including a stroke and intestinal cancer), Turner is a modern icon of perseverance and triumphant talent.