How a Melbourne hotel helped relaunch a struggling Tina Turner’s solo career

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford has revealed the role the Melbourne Hilton played in getting Tina Turner back on her feet during a career slump. 

Peter recalled how the American megastar’s career was at a total standstill in the early days of her solo career in the early 80s. 

The star had been convinced by Australian music producer Roger Davies to let him act as her manager, whereupon Davies booked her into the Hilton Ballroom. 

‘One of the first gigs that he got her was performing at the Hilton hotel in Melbourne,’ Peter recalled to 3AW on Thursday. 

The Hilton ballroom used to have floor show entertainment in the 1980s. 

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford has revealed how a Melbourne hotel helped relaunch a struggling Tina Turner’s solo career in the early 1980s during a chat on 3AW on Thursday

Peter recalled how the hotel booked Tina 12 months in advance before the drop of her 1984 album, Private Dancer. 

‘They [The Hilton] booked her about 12 months out and nobody really cared about Tina Turner at that point,’ he said. 

However, before Tina was to play the ballroom Private Dancer dropped and became a huge global hit. 

In the US, it was certified platinum five times over. In the UK, it was certified platinum three times over. 

The star had been convinced by Australian music producer Roger Davies (pictured) to act as her manager where he booked her into the Hilton Melbourne’s ballroom

‘They [The Hilton] booked her about 12 months out and nobody really cared about Tina Turner at that point,’ he said. Pictured: The Melbourne Hilton 

‘She was like the hottest music name in the world [once the album dropped],’ Peter recalled of the Private Dancer album. The album is credited with relaunching her career

It spawned some of her most iconic hits, including ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ and ‘Private Dancer’.  

Despite her enormous success of the album, Tina honoured her commitments to the Australian hotel. 

‘She was like the hottest music name in the world [once the album dropped],’ Peter recalled. 

‘But she still honoured that commitment and so she was performing here in Melbourne at the Hilton for a couple of hundred bucks a night at the time.’

Peter revealed how she flew back to Europe to play stadium tours. 

Peter revealed how she flew back to Europe to play stadium tours. ‘She went from here [Melbourne] and Sydney back to Europe and started performing in stadiums,’ he said 

‘She went from here [Melbourne] and Sydney back to Europe and started performing in stadiums,’ he said of the star. 

The entertainment reporter went on to echo the sentiments of devastated fans around the world after her death was announced on Wednesday. 

The star died at 83 following several bouts of ill-health. 

‘It’s an extraordinary career that involves so much endurance, apart from sheer talent, just endurance and survival,’ he cooed. 

‘She was in her 40s before she became a solo performer.’ 

‘It’s an extraordinary career that involves so much endurance, apart from sheer talent, just endurance and survival,’ he cooed. ‘She was in her 40s before she became a solo performer.’