Brownsville Unveils 10-Foot Tina Turner Statue During Heritage Days

A 10 foot bronze statue of Tina Turner was unveiled Saturday in Brownsville, Tennessee, during the town's annual Tina Turner Heritage Days celebration, honoring the late singer who grew up nearby in Nutbush. The sculpture stands in Heritage Park adjacent to Carver High School and near the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, which houses a museum in the one room Flagg Grove School Turner attended as a child.

The piece was created by Atlanta sculptor Fred Ajanogha and depicts Turner midperformance, microphone in hand, index finger extended and her hair rendered in a voluminous style. Ajanogha sculpted the work in clay in Atlanta before it was cast in bronze by a West Tennessee foundry. He said the project took about a year to complete and was funded by more than 50 donors, including a 150,000 contribution from Ford Motor Company.

Brownsville officials and family members attended the unveiling, joined by fans who traveled from across the country for the event. Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls Jr. said the statue was meant to reflect Turner’s stage presence and to inspire the community. "When Tina stepped on stage, she owned it. We want this statue to represent that passion. Tina was...