Neighbours of the late ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Tina Turner have described her as a “local hero” in the wake of her death aged 83, on Wednesday (May 25).
Locals from the small community of Kusnacht by Switzerland’s Lake Zurich left flowers at the gates of her mansion after hearing the news of her passing, with many revealing she would always stop to say hello.
They revealed ‘The Best’ star was every bit a part of the community, paying for the area’s Christmas lights and a rescue vessel on the local lake.
She is also have said to have taken the time to learn German – the nation’s most commonly spoken language – and attended yoga classes with the natives.
Heaping praise on the Grammy Award winner, local heating firm boss Leo Scherertold the Mirror: “She was really happy here and she would always say hi if you saw her on the street. She had a quiet life. When you met her out and about, she was humble. She never acted like a big star.”
Satu Heinanen, meanwhile, a fan from Finland who lives nearby, said: “I saw her last concert here in February 2009, on her farewell tour, and she was still amazing. And, oh those legs – she was still up there dancing on a ramp high above the audience in high heels.”
Former stylist Alexandra Kruse who made a TV commercial with Tina in 2015 also visited the gates of the star’s estate to pay her respects.
She praised the impact Tina had made both as a musician, and a human being.
“I wanted to say thank you and goodbye to her because she was simply the best,” she explained.
“Her honesty about her domestic abuse inspired a lot of women to escape that. And there will always be her music – that lives on for ever. I only spent a few days with her. She was such a professional but also so friendly.
“She knew everyone’s names on the set and had such grace and wisdom. There was a spiritual side to her too; she was a Buddhist and loved her garden by the lake.”
Tina and her beloved husband Erwin Bach were living in a $76 million (around £61.4 million) mansion for two years before her death.
The 260,00-square foot property consists of 10 buildings and was initially bought by the couple as a weekend retreat.
The stunning property came complete with its own pond, stream, swimming pool and boat deck in the exclusive neighbourhood.
The home was protected by a large gate and featured a plaque outside that read: “Do not even think about bothering Tina Turner before noon.”
The home spans over five acres of land. Tina and Erwin also owned another property in Kusnacht.
A month before the couple bought the pricy pad, Tina sold her music catalog to BMG, a German music company, for a staggering $50 million, around £40.4 million.
The pair had been renting another property prior to making the purchase while they waited to obtain their citizenship.
Tina and Erwin had to wait to buy the property until they received official Swiss citizenship due to a Swiss law that states nonresidents are unable to purchase property in the country, according to the Daily Mail.
Swiss news reports suggested that at one point, tennis superstar Roger Federer considered buying the property but opted to purchase another home in the same community.
