A statue honouring Tina Turner in her Tennessee hometown has been panned online after its unveiling, with fans branding it a “poor replica” and even comparing it to Ronald McDonald.
The 10-foot bronze sculpture was revealed during the annual Tina Turner Heritage Days festival in Brownsville, where the late star grew up. Intended as a lasting tribute to the singer, who died in May 2023 aged 83, the piece instead sparked a flood of criticism once photos and videos appeared on social media.
“That statue should have been kicked down after the unveiling. That is a very poor replica of what is supposed to be The Iconic Tina Turner. So disrespectful!” one user fumed. Another wrote: “Dang, what was they thinking? Whoever did that needs to get their money back.”
Others were more scathing still, with one commenter asking: “Was it donated or free? I hope nobody actually paid money for that.” Several compared the likeness to fast-food mascot Ronald McDonald.
The statue was commissioned by the City of Brownsville with support from Ford Motor Company and local donors, and created by Atlanta-based sculptor Fred Ajanogha.
He said he tried to capture Turner’s signature moves, her hair “like a lion’s mane”, and her familiar microphone pose, explaining: “There is only one Tina Turner.”
Unveiled in Heritage Park across from Carver High School, which Turner once attended, the ceremony drew Turner family members, local leaders, and a large crowd of fans.
Brownsville mayor Bill Rawls described it as “the culmination of years of community vision and effort”, while the weekend-long Heritage Days festival also featured tribute concerts and guest speakers.
Turner, one of only three women to be inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is already celebrated in Brownsville with the Tina Turner Museum, housed inside her former school.
The controversy follows a string of other celebrity tributes that failed to impress fans. Cristiano Ronaldo’s infamous bust at Madeira airport in 2017 was mocked as “creepy” before being replaced, while last year Paris’s Grevin Museum was forced to repaint its waxwork of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson after complaints it had whitewashed his skin tone.
Despite the online backlash, Brownsville officials hope the new statue will become a cultural landmark for visitors keen to celebrate the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll’s enduring legacy.
