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HBO’s Tina Turner Doc Reveals Capitol Records Exec Called Her The N-Word

The powerful film premiered over the weekend.

The HBO doc on the legendary Tina Turner premiered this weekend. The powerful film chroncilined the icon’s life from her days in Nutbush, Tennessee to her rise to international superstar. The documentary also shared a most disturbing moment how an exec at a record label reacted to signing the legend to a deal at Capitol Records. 

The Wrap reports, the film aired a 2009 interview with John Carter, the Capitol Records producer, songwriter and A&R representative who signed her as a solo artist. Carter said when new management took over they wanted to drop Turner. 

RELATED: Tina Turner Turns 80 Years Younger Today As Tributes For The Queen Of Rock 'n' Roll Pour In

In the audio, Carter said “The new regime comes in and like any new regime they have their own idea of what they want to do. So I flip out, go downstairs and I say, hey, this is my act. And the classic quote is, ‘Carter, you signed this old n—- douchebag?'”

The conversation reportedly happened around 1983. 

Nonetheless, Turner was not dropped and by May 29, 1984, her smash album Private Dancer was released, which included the Billboard Hot 100 no. 1  "What's Love Got to Do with It."

The rest is music history.

You can watch the doc Tina on HBO or HBO streaming platforms. 

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