Thanks again Rudolf for merging the threads!
Tina Turner Renounces Her U.S. Citizenship To Become Swiss
Tina Turner is renouncing her American citizenship to become Swiss, it was revealed today.
The American rock diva has lived in the Zurich suburb of Kuesnacht since the mid-1990s and speaks fluent German.
The local Zuerichsee-Zeitung newspaper said on its website the local council announced its decision to grant the 73-year-old Turner citizenship in an official notice published in Friday's edition.
The decision still requires formal approval from state and federal authorities.
The Proud Mary singer told a local German newspaper: 'I'm very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. I cannot imagine a better place to live.'
Turner's agent told Zuerichsee-Zeitung the singer wanted to 'clarify her situation'.
'Tina Turner will therefore also give back her US citizenship,' she said.
Earlier this month, actor Gerard Depardieu announced he was renouncing his French citizenship because of the country's high taxes, and was promptly offered Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin.
Tina's move has sparked rumors she is following in the footsteps of Depardieu and Facebook's Eduardo Saverin, who now calls Singapore, with its 18 per cent tax rate, home.
Wealthy socialite Denise Rich, born Denise Eisenberg, renounced her U.S. last year. She was married to billionaire commodities trader Marc Rich, controversially pardoned by Bill Clinton his last day in office.
Denise has written songs for Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Jessica Simpson.
But Forbes says of the singer's move: 'There’s little to suggest taxes motivate the decision, and Swiss rates are high.'
The mayor of Tina's hometown in Brownsville, Tennessee, said he was surprised at the news.
'Tina Turner - as she has gotten worldwide fame - has never forgotten her roots,' Mayor Jo Matherne told Fox. 'We’ve been in recent contact with some of her people talking about some projects we have in Brownsville.'
Matherne said she was unsure how residents would react to the news of Turner’s citizenship swap.
'I think anytime a person, whether they’re world-renowned or the most meek and mild, makes the decision to change their citizenship we need to step back and think what causes that decision,' Matherne said.
The singer, who has sold 200 million records, first came to Zurich with her longtime partner, German music manager Erwin Bach. They live in a lake house called Chateau Algonquin.
Turner recently passed a local civics test and interview according to an official announcement published in the Zuerichsee-Zeitung daily.
The 73-year-old's music is popular in Switzerland, with a spiritual singing album she released in 2009 peaking at number seven in the Swiss charts. Children Beyond, a 2011 follow-up, also made the Swiss charts. Turner is currently recording Beyond 2.
Her agent did not return MailOnline's request for comment. about whether the move was for tax reasons.
Tina-Turner-renounces-American-citizenship
