The fourth sad news in the entertainment industry after Tina Turner, a wonderful, soulful person American singer and before Plymouth Brand Spokespersonpassed away at his home in Küsnacht, Switzerland after years of failing health following a stroke.
Turner is best known for her incredible voice, which burst onto the music scene in the late 50s and early 60s with her husband’s band Ike Turner. She quickly became a star attraction, however, from a New York Times‘ obituary:
“In today’s show business landscape, Tina Turner has to be the most professional on stage,” wrote Ralph J. Gleason, influential pop and jazz critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. in a review of a Rolling Stones concert in Oakland in November 1969. “She came like a storm. She dances, flexes, shakes and sings and the impact is instantaneous and all-encompassing.
But if Ike and Tina Turner Revue were successful, then Ike and Tina Turner’s marriage did not. Mr. Turner was abusive. After getting out of her marriage in her 30s, her career stalled. But her 1984 solo album “Private Dancer” brought her back into the limelight — and elevated her to the pop stratosphere.
Working with younger musicians and aided by a smooth, synth sound that provides a polished wrap to her raw, raspy vocals, she delivered three huge hits: theme songwritten by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits; “Better be nice to me”; And “Love has to do with it.”
Any kid of the ’80s or ’90s knows Turner’s hits by heart. They are emotional ballads still sung at karaoke bars and girls’ post-breakup nights across the county. After successfully reinventing her career at age 45, winning four Grammy Awards in 1985, starring in several films, and performing sold-out stadium shows around the world, Turner was ready to go. Ready for the biggest breakthrough ever: Plymouth Laser Spokesperson.
This is 1990, car and famous singer are compared to each other (what are we girls today? Plymouth Lasers!).
The second ad lets Turner talk like a human instead of twirling like a prop:
Apparently, lending Laser some of her charm and grace didn’t do much for Plymouth’s sales; it’s a tiny number that, sadly, will only last in Chrysler’s lineup for a few more years. Turner will also turn his star power into Welcome to Plymouth that… all right.
“This car is built for comfort. I wonder if we have anything in common?” is such a strange line that it could only have been around since the early ’90s. Unless the Turner came with a front-wheel drive three-speed automatic transmission, their common ground would be lost.
But even before those two weird ads, we had The Plymouth Traveler:
And Sundance!
God, what a line of forgettable stinkers. Chrysler has always been like this, hasn’t it? Plymouth died in 2001 due to low sales from similarly sad models. The only thing that is memorable about these very simple commercials is the confident smile and confident gaze of one of the greatest solo singers of all time.
