Tina Turner Mourns Death Of Sister

The Queen of ’80s Rock Tina Turner is mourning the death of her older sister, who died at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles on Sept. 4 after a long illness.

She was 73.

The singing legend cancelled a string of gigs in Europe to be by her sister’s side as she quietly passed away earlier this month. It was Tina’s big sister — Ruby “Alline” Selico — who helped turn the shy teenager from Nutbush, Tennessee into a seven-time Grammy winner when she convinced a then high school-aged Tina to pursue her dream of music. Alline is also credited with helping her famous sib, now 70, become a domestic violence survivor after she encouraged her to leave her abusive relationship with Ike Turner in 1976.

Alline was laid to rest during a quiet service at celeb-studded Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood on Sept. 9. She was memorialized in front of about 50 mourners by the “Proud Mary” hitmaker, who is “grateful” she was able to say goodbye to the sister who at times was more like a surrogate mother.

“Alline is finally at peace and I don’t have to worry about my sister anymore,” Turner remarked in her eulogy.

“Alline has always been Tina’s backbone – her rock. And she was right there during the most difficult time in her life, when she was getting beaten up by Ike,” a Selico Family insiter tells The National Enquirer. “She was like a mama bear and the one to finally give Tina — who was terrified of Ike — the courage to leave him. Tina got there late Friday night, Sept. 3, and sat and talked with Alline. It was getting late so Tina kissed her and told her she would be back the next day, but a few hours later Alline slipped away…She held on until she saw her baby sister for the last time.”