The fire ignited by Tina Turner right here in St. Louis never stopped glowing. And on Feb. 15, that flame will rise inside the newly renovated Powell Hall. This weekend, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis City SC join forces for Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner, presented by Purina. It’s a one‑night‑only celebration of a woman whose voice, power, and resilience shaped generations.
Anna Mae Bullock may have been born — and mostly raised — in Nutbush, Tennessee. But Tina Turner is a St. Louis original. It was in St. Louis and East St. Louis that she found her voice as a performer. By day, she was Ann Bullock, a quiet student at the historically Black Charles Sumner High School. By night, she was honing her craft as the lead singer in a band led by her future husband, Ike Turner. In the 1958 Sumner yearbook, beside her senior photo, she declared she would become an entertainer. In her relentless pursuit of that goal, she became an icon.
Turner passed away on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy that stretched across decades and continues to reverberate around the world. That spirit is what the SLSO and City SC hope to honor — not just the superstar, but the woman whose earliest dreams were shaped by this region.
Helping bring that vision to life is Grammy Award‑winning powerhouse Brittany Howard, best known as the lead vocalist of Alabama Shakes.
“Tina Turner has inspired me since I was a child,” Howard said. “Her spirit and her strength are reflected in her songs, which have shaped my own sound and my journey as an artist. Joining St. Louis City SC and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in honoring her is personal for me.”
Howard’s presence alone would make this a major event. But the night also belongs to St. Louis — and to one of its brightest young stars. Kennedy Holmes, the hometown vocalist who captured national attention as a finalist on The Voice, will join Howard onstage. Holmes has grown up performing at Powell Hall, at The Muny, and in front of City SC fans.
“It is such an honor to join Brittany in paying tribute to one of the most iconic female musicians of all time,” Holmes said. “As a young artist who is also from St. Louis, I am in awe of Tina’s extraordinary career. Honoring her here at Powell Hall is going to be an unforgettable night.”
The tribute will be led by SLSO Music Director Stéphane Denève and guest conductor Anthony Parnther — whose work on major film soundtracks like Tenet and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made him one of the most sought‑after conductors in the industry. They will guide the orchestra and a lineup of guest artists including two‑time Grammy winner Tamika Lawrence, Broadway vocalist Shaleah Adkisson, and Emmy nominee Scott Coulter.
Together, they’ll take audiences on a symphonic journey through Turner’s catalog. Expect the classics — but expect them reimagined with orchestral depth that reveals new layers in songs audiences have known for decades.
“I’m especially excited for the orchestral interpretation of ‘Proud Mary,’” said Turner’s widower, Erwin Bach.
For City SC, this tribute is part of a larger commitment to celebrating St. Louis culture — not just the sports, but the stories, the music, and the people who shaped the city’s identity. Chief Experience Officer Matt Sebek said the collaboration felt like a natural extension of the club’s mission.
“It was really the perfect homage,” Sebek said. “We wanted to create something cinematic — a way to honor Tina’s early songs while bringing in modern talent who could reinterpret them with authenticity. It’s about celebrating St. Louis as homegrown and global at the same time.”
Turner was a hometown girl who became an international phenomenon. A survivor who became a symbol of strength. A performer who turned pain into power — and power into joy.
For the SLSO, the tribute also marks one of the first major events in the newly renovated Powell Hall — a space that now feels even more fitting for a celebration of Turner’s magnitude.
“You have the feeling that whatever your age, whatever your style, you will feel at home here,” Denève told The St. Louis American ahead of Powell Hall’s reopening as part of the Jack C. Taylor Music Center last fall.
And for St. Louis, the concert is a reminder that this city has always been a cradle for world‑changing talent — that its stages have launched legends, including Tina Turner, with all her fire, grit, and glory.
“St. Louis is a homecoming for Tina,” Bach said. “It’s where she first felt the thrill of the stage and the joy of performing.”
Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Powell Hall. Tickets are available at slso.org or by calling the SLSO Box Office at 314‑534‑1700.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
