“Your voice has died out, but it is still in my heart,” says an admirer of Tina Turner, laying flowers in front of the residence of the “Queen of rock” in this very wealthy town not far from Zurich.
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Barbara Burkhalter is part of the constant stream of admirers who have gathered outside the gates of Algonquin Castle, the sumptuous residence in Küsnacht, where the 83-year-old artist who lived there for nearly three decades died on Wednesday.
“Someone like her should live forever,” says Barbara.
Tina Turner’s death has drawn tributes from presidents and other rock icons around the world, as well as from her neighbors in this suburb of Switzerland’s financial capital, sitting on the shores of Lake Zurich, known as the evocative name of the “Côte d’Or”.
“I brought flowers and a small card. I really had to come, ”says the 69-year-old lady. “On Tuesday I saw that the garden was not lit, which is very unusual. It was completely dark,” she said.
“It was my favorite of all the ladies. I live only four minutes from here. I saw her several times when she was shopping. We loved that she was there, but we would never have bothered her.”
Discretion and respect for the private sphere which has attracted more than one star to Switzerland, as well as an attractive tax system.
Many bouquets of flowers were placed at the gates of the castle, as well as about forty candles, cards, handwritten messages and tributes to the superstar born in the United States.
As the overcast sky gives way to bright sunshine, a woman wearing a baseball cap lights a candle and leaves a message: “Thank you Tina for your music, your voice, your smile, your inspiration, your dance moves, your enthusiasms . Your neighborhood. Rest in power”.
The admirer takes up the “Rest in power”, the expression of mourning for those whose life has been marked by injustice or discrimination.
Besides her music and showmanship, Tina Turner’s fight to overcome domestic violence has touched many women around the world.
Guia Greaves, another admirer, remembers a Tina Turner, who was known in her adopted city as a kind person, a good neighbour, discreet and unassuming, who tried hard to learn German and to integrate into the community.
“She paid for all the Christmas decorations,” Guia Greaves told AFP. “I don’t know how many times I’ve walked by listening to his songs and I’ve been like, ‘Hey, Tina!’.”
“And I really admire what she symbolized in the face of domestic violence: the way she flourished without hatred.”
“We now have the treasure of his music and we must continue to listen to it,” she says.
She renounces her American citizenship
Tina Turner moved to Switzerland in 1995 with her longtime German partner, producer and actor Erwin Bach, 67.
In 2013, three months after marrying him and obtaining her Swiss passport, Tina Turner renounced her American citizenship.
The couple have long rented Algonquin Castle due to restrictions on foreigners.
The gardens surrounding the magnificent mansion are surrounded by immaculately maintained hedges and enormous bushes colored in shades of pink and blue.
The three-storey white house is protected from the gaze of strangers by imposing fir trees.
Jerika Seiler, 48, came to light “a candle for her soul”. This fashion designer says she has met Tina Turner several times at local restaurants over the past 20 years.
And she remembers the time the “Queen of Rock” rolled down her car window, saying “hello and smiling. I was screaming so much I was happy!”.
“I went to three concerts. I started reading his book a few years ago and every time I saw his movie I always cried. She was so strong
Tina Turner “will always be” in his eyes “simply the best”.
“Simply the best”, one of Tina Turner’s greatest hits.