that at that time, nobody wanted to do a black movie. Ain’t that something?!! Tina’s rejection left the cast with no known stars. Oprah wasn’t yet OPRAH, the media/TV billionaire mogul prior to filming. The Color Purple released in 1985 and Oprah, although well known in Chi-town, was not widely known until the Oprah Winfrey Show hit the U.S. in 1986. Although he’d been in the acting world since ’79, Danny Glover also wasn’t widely known until The Color Purple and remember, this was Whoopi Goldberg’s breakout film.

Whoopi allegedly made the following quote: “Tina Turner turns down the Color Purple and she does Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. All the while saying she’s seeking credibility as an actress, give me a break!”

It took Tina some time to decide to get into film, she said ”In earlier years, as you probably know, there were hardly any roles for black women. And now, with the type of films that are coming out, they have color . . .”

Now if anyone is wondering why none of this info was included in the 1993 movie, What’s Love Got To Do With It. It’s because that movie was based on the book “I, Tina” which was written in 1983 – two years before The Color Purple went into production.

So there you have it folks! Tina wasn’t trying to have nothing to do with The Color Purple and she’s one artist of the soul era who did a rare thing of successfully crossing over to a broader audience. It’s clear to see that she intentionally crossed over her music, which is her choice, but we still love us some Tina!

We want to know your thoughts on this ILOSM family: When artists intentionally crossover for broader success, is that crossover just business, or is it the rejection of their core audience, who supported them from the very beginning?

On another note have you seen Margeret Avery a.k.a. “Shug Avery” and Tina lately?!! Both of them are in their 70’s and looking good! Check out recent pics of them when you flip the page.