The late Tina Turner dominated the Drag Race stage without even trying. Her cause of death was confirmed on May 24, having died peacefully after a long illness, and RuPaul’s queens are remembering the icon.

Tina Turner’s death has come as a massive shock for fans. The Simply The Best singer was known all over the world for her talented vocal range and ability to get fans crying AND dancing in busy crowds.

Lip syncs on RuPaul’s Drag Race were carried out in honor of Tina, from Tina Burner to Monique. One of them had the seal of approval from music legend Elton John, who introduced Monique’s lip sync.

Tina Turner on Drag Race

Tina Turner died peacefully at home after a long illness. Although she never guest appeared in the contest, several queens honored the singer by lip-syncing to her music in front of the judges before her death.

When the first lip sync happened at the duet stage of the competition, Elton John introduced the track. He said, “Good luck, and don’t f*** it up.” RuPaul then added: “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Fans feel that Tina influenced the show, which moved to MTV in 2023, more than she realized. One wrote: “Listen to me, the IMPACT that the Tina Turner Bob Mackie flame dress (also worn by Cher the same year) had on the culture.

“There’s a domino meme to be made about that dress leading to the creation of RuPaul’s Drag Race.” As Drag Race Mexico has just started to air, many are remembering Tina for providing stardom and inspiration to the show.

Queens pay tribute to Tina after her death

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Tatyana Ali, who performed Turner’s Better Be Good To Me in their finale lip sync on VH1, has paid tribute to the icon. They said that the star “influenced their split ever since they were a little girl.”

Monique Heart, another former competitor on the show, was hailed “THE Tina Turner” for her early lip sync dressed as the singer. A fan wrote: “Love this one – could watch it over and over. Monique WAS Tina!”

Another fan said: “The only Tina Turner lip-sync on Drag Race had a surprise intro from Elton John. RIP to THE queen.” Others commented on how they are shocked that Turner’s Proud Mary was never a lip sync on Drag Race.

So thankful that I got to experience Tina Turner's energy & power in my lifetime. She has influenced my spirit ever since I was a little girl. It was a no brainer for me to perform one of her songs for my @RuPaulsDragRace finale. Rest well ♥️

— Tatyana Ali (@TatyanaAli) May 25, 2023

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Tina Burner pays tribute

Drag queen Tina Burner has paid tribute to Tina. Their stage name was inspired by the icon, having been a fan from a young age, and competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13, where they finished in seventh place.

Many fans say they’ve been thinking of the drag queen since hearing of Tina’s death. One fan wrote to Burner, whose real name is Kristian Seeber: “You shall carry on her legacy. You are just as fierce as she was. ❤️”

Kristian chose the name Tina Burner to honor her and feels like it shows their style as a camp queen. They told Hollywood Soapbox during an interview in 2022:

Tina Turner has always been, and will always be, my idol. The strength, the longevity and the sheer talent of this individual has shaped me into the performer I am today.

The 42-year-old will continue to keep their name, Tina Burner, in her legacy. Her Instagram tribute received over 9K likes in less than 24 hours after the news of Turner’s death was announced.

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