The Essence Awards was a ceremony that honored African-American women who have enriched society through their contributions to education, social policies, public services and the arts.
In 1993, Tina Turner received a special 'Living Legend' award from her friend Ann Margret with a speech from Bill Cosby. A live tribute medley with some of her greatest hits was performed by Stephanie Mills, Chanté Moore and Karyn White. Tina, accompanied by her manager Roger Davis, revealed in her very emotional acceptance speech that she opened many times for Bill in Las Vegas and he always hided her costumes.
Date: May 29, 1993
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Host: Patti Labelle, Danny Glover
Laudator: Bill Cosby, Ann Margret
Award: Living Legend Award
Magazine
Essence is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, it is written mainly for African-American women. Tina was on the cover in 1993, the same year she received also the Essence Award with a story about her recent biographical movie What’s Love Got To Do With It.
Issue: July 1993
Photographer: Nicola Dill
Story: Tina Turner Keeps on Burning
Language: English
Nicola Dill
was born in Hamburg, Germany and studied in the History of Art and Ethnology program before she moved to New York to study photography. For many years of her professional career she primarily focused on portrait work for the entertainment industry, including Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Joni Mitchell, and many others, published globally in magazines like Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone and New York Times, among others. In March 1993, she photographed Tina Turner in Los Angeles for a cover story of Essence magazine.
Nicola about Tina Turner:
„The way she turned her life around, her courage, her music are an inspiration. I feel honored to have known her. What a cherished memory it is to have met her, to photograph her, to have experienced her vivacious personality - moreover to have heard her burst out singing for our small team during this photo shoot. She talked about living in Cologne at that time. She spoke of her German boyfriend, Erwin Bach, and of the butterflies she felt when seeing him.“