Tina Turner’s Iconic Wigs: A Signature Part of Her Stage Presence
Tina Turner is one of the most legendary performers of all time. Known for her powerful voice, energetic dance moves, and fierce stage presence, she electrified audiences around the world for decades. A key part of Turner’s show-stopping style were her wild and voluminous wigs, which became a signature part of her image and performances. However, Turner’s natural hair is quite different than the wigs she is famous for wearing. This article will explore Turner’s real hair, how she came to rely on wigs, and how she perfected her wig designs to create a new level of artistry and self-expression.
Turner’s Natural Hair
Turner was born with naturally black, curly hair. There are a few rare photos from the early 1970s that show Turner sporting her natural hair texture. Her curls are tight and springy, forming an afro-like style that frames her face. However, for the majority of her career in the spotlight, Turner chose to wear wigs rather than show off her natural hair. The reason she began relying so heavily on wigs has to do with an incident in the early 1960s that changed her haircare routine forever.
The Incident That Led to Wig Wearing
It is said that Turner began wearing wigs in the early 1960s after experiencing a chemical hair straightening mishap. At the time, many Black women felt pressure to straighten their textured hair to fit narrow beauty standards. Turner attempted a home-based hair straightening treatment that went wrong, severely damaging her natural curls. Struggling with her damaged hair, Turner reportedly found that wearing wigs allowed her to better maintain her hair and also achieve the dramatic hairstyles she wanted for her performances. Wigs protected her fragile natural hair from further heat and chemical treatments while also giving her freedom to transform her look.
From then on, wigs became a mainstay in Turner’s style. They allowed her to switch between different hair colors and textures easily for different eras of her career. Wigs also held up better to the rigors of touring and performing for hours under hot stage lights. Turner’s wig wearing became so integral to her image that it’s hard to imagine her iconic stage presence without the wild, big-haired wigs she designed.
Designing Unique Wigs
Turner took wig wearing to a whole new level by designing and customizing many of her wigs herself. She worked closely with wig makers to bring her bold visions to life. Turner had a meticulous eye for detail and was known for providing intricate instructions for each new wig, from the part to the individual strand colors. She wanted her wigs to look natural yet dramatic enough to match her high-energy performances.
Some of Turner’s most famous wigs incorporated ombre coloring, with strands fading from black to blonde. These created a sun-kissed effect. She also liked wigs with bangs or face-framing pieces cut in dramatic angles. Volume was key—Turner favored wigs styled with huge, towering hair shapes above her head. She pushed wig designs to be bigger and bolder with each new tour.
Turner’s wigs often included embellishments like feathers, beads, or glitter woven throughout. These extra touches made her wigs truly works of art. She was unafraid to blend textures, like pairing soft curls with pieces of crimped hair. Turner had a keen sense of how to style wigs to flatter her features too. She favored off-center parts and full bangs to help accentuate her eyes.
Customizing wigs allowed Turner to feel in control of her image and self-expression. “I loved being able to change my hair and looks so easily. The wigs gave me freedom and it was really fun designing them,” Turner has said. For her, wigs represented confidence and empowerment.
Wigs as Part of Iconic Stage Style
Turner’s over-the-top wigs became a signature part of her high-energy stage shows. Paired with her revealing, glamorous costumes, elaborate makeup, and dynamic dance routines, the wigs helped Turner command attention every time she performed. Her wigs flowed and bounced dramatically as she belted out hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “Private Dancer.”
Fans loved how Turner’s wigs contributed to a larger-than-life stage persona. She was not afraid to push physical and stylistic boundaries with her performances. The wigs represented freedom of expression and a rejection of rigid beauty standards. They came to symbolize Turner’s unapologetic embrace of her sexuality and confidence in her body as a Black woman in an industry that rarely celebrated women like her.
Turner’s wigs also changed and evolved along with different eras of her career. Her looks from the 1970s and 1980s incorporated the big hair trends of those decades. As she matured, her wig designs became more refined yet no less dramatic. Even into her 60s and 70s, Turner proved she could still rock a show-stopping wig as vibrantly as ever. Fans delighted in seeing Turner’s new wig reveals at each tour.
Legacy of Iconic Wig Wearing
Tina Turner left an indelible mark on popular culture and performance style with her wig wearing. She proved that wigs could be worn as powerful tools of self-expression, not just cosmetic enhancements. Turner singlehandedly pushed wigs from a beauty accessory into an art form through her meticulous designs and showmanship.
Decades after her rise to fame, Turner’s wigs continue to inspire new generations of performers. Stars like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B have all paid homage to Turner’s boundary-pushing style through their own bold wig reveals onstage. Turner showed the world that wigs could be worn fearlessly to tell visual stories and command attention through dramatic transformations. She leaves a legacy of wigs as empowering extensions of identity and vehicles for creative self-expression.
Through her iconic wigs, Turner crafted an unforgettable stage persona that captivated audiences worldwide. The wigs became synonymous with Turner’s brand of fierce femininity and talent for captivating live performances. While Turner’s natural hair texture is quite different, her custom wigs allowed her to achieve hair dreams and fully embrace her role as an international superstar. Turner’s wig wearing pushed the limits of artistry and performance style, cementing her place in entertainment history.