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Tina Turner influenced Prince William during childhood, brings back memories of Princess Diana

Prince William's fond memory of Tina Turner's hit song "Simply the Best" has resurfaced following the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll's death. Turner died on May 23 after a long illness.

Prince William had a fond memory of Tina Turner that includes his brother Prince Harry and late mother Princess Diana.

Prince William's comments on his favorite song by Turner have resurfaced in light of the icon's death on Tuesday.

"And one of the songs I massively remember and has stuck with me all this time, and I still, to this day, still quite enjoy secretly, is Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’ because sitting in the backseat, singing away, it felt like a real family moment," William previously said in an episode of the "Time to Walk" podcast in 2021.

"And my mother, she’d be driving along, singing at the top of her voice," he recalled. "And we’d even get the policeman in the car, he’d be occasionally singing along as well."

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"You’d be singing and listening to the music right the way out into the gates of school when they dropped you off. When I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car rides and brings back lots of memories of my mother."

The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll's death was announced Wednesday on Instagram. Turner died Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner," the statement on social media said. "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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Turner was remembered fondly by the music industry.

"I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer," Mick Jagger wrote on Twitter.

"She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her," he concluded.

Lionel Richie shared, "What a life! What a show! What a talent! Your resilience was a lesson for us all. I will miss you, my dear friend! Thanks for the memories…"

And Oprah Winfrey wrote, "I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends. She is our forever goddess of rock ‘n’ roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn’t know existed… I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best."

Throughout her career, Turner sold more than 150 million records. She won eight Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. She was inducted again and honored for her solo career in 2005.

Turner launched her career in 1960 with the release of "A Fool in Love." The song hit No. 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Besides singing, Turner also dabbled in acting. She landed her first role in 1975 with "Tommy" and would later appear in "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" alongside Mel Gibson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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