Beyonce pauses Renaissance tour to pay emotional tribute to Tina Turner after her death

Beyonce took the time on Friday to pause her performance to honor the late Tina Turner. The 83-year-old superstar died of natural causes on May 24 after battling a long illness, compounded by a bout of intestinal cancer, high blood pressure, and a kidney transplant. 

Midway through her set at the Stade France in Paris on May 26, Beyoncé paused and told fans: "I just want to take a second and honor Tina Turner. If you’re a fan of mine, you’re a fan of Tina Turner. Because I wouldn’t be on this stage without Tina Turner." 

She then added: "So I want you guys to just scream so she can feel your love."

MORE: Tina Turner's message to fans before death is all the more heartbreaking

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The mom-of-three continued: "I feel so blessed that I was allowed to witness her brilliance. I also feel very blessed to be here to perform once again in Paris after so many years. Thank you for your loyalty." 

Tina, the legendary singer-songwriter who was dubbed the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, died in Switzerland, her spokesperson confirmed in a statement: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner.

"With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly." 

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The singer was known for leading the movement of women into rock and roll throughout the 1960s and 1980s, thanks to hits like 'Private Dancer,' 'The Best,' 'What's Love Got to Do With It,' and more. 

The superstar came to prominence as part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue with her first husband Ike Turner. The two became a formidable live act as a duo, releasing a string of hits such as 'River Deep – Mountain High,' 'Nutbush City Limits,' and 'Proud Mary'. But their highly-publicized relationship proved to be abusive – and after years of physical and verbal assaults at Ike's hands, Tina left him without a penny to her name. 

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The group disbanded in 1976 and they divorced in 1978. 

In the 1980s, a solo Tina entered the stratospheric peak of her career, launching what is considered to be one of the greatest musical comebacks with a string of hit songs, albums, and tours. She released several enduring classics such as 'Better Be Good to Me', 'Typical Male,' 'I Don't Wanna Fight,' 'We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome),' and the Bond song 'GoldenEye'. 

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She also acted in movies like 1975's Tommy and 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, although had more success penning original tracks for these movies. 

Her life was the subject of the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance from Angela Bassett, and the award-winning Broadway jukebox musical Tina. 

Turner sold over 100 million records over the span of her career and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and 12 Grammy Awards.

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