"A one off, the greatest:" Doncaster rocker John Parr pays tribute to friend Tina Turner

The Sykehouse-based star supported the queen of rock and roll on her 1985 Private Dancer tour, sharing the stage with her on a string of dates across North America.

The St Elmo’s Fire hitmaker has revealed how he watched her perform on every night of the tour and added: “She was a one off. A woman the like of whom we will never see again.”

Paying tribute on his Facebook page, the rock star wrote: “Whenever they say ‘who was the greatest you ever performed with?’, without thinking, it was always Tina.

"She was, simply the best.

"The most dedicated artiste I have ever known who gave her all in every moment she ruled the stage.

"On the Private Dancer tour, I would do my set, get changed, wait for the lights to go down and watch her every night.

"She was electric, lightning in a bottle.

"Almost every member of her band, every dancer and singer were world class, a little too good for most artistes to risk losing the limelight to but no matter how high they set the bar, Tina eclipsed it.

"She was The One Off - a woman the like of whom we will never see again. I was blessed to know her.”

The tour, in support of her fifth studio album Private Dancer, helped to establish Turner as a major solo artist and live performer and is often considered one of the best comebacks in music history.

The 180-date tour encompassed Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. Turner also played a show in Budapest, the only show of the tour behind the Iron Curtain.

The concerts received additional accolades, receiving an "Most Creative Tour Package Award" and "Comeback Tour Of The Year Award.”

Tributes have poured in from fans and celebrities and fellow music stars following her death, while Doncaster’s Yorkshire Wildlife Park will be paying tribute later this year with a huge outdoor concert at the Branton visitor attraction.