TINA TURNER TALKS BEYONCE, ARETHA & SEQUELS! ALSO OPENS UP ON IKE'S DEATH; SAYS: 'IT MEANT NOTHING TO ME.'

Last night iconic legend and rock and roll diva Tina Turner launched her 36-date North America arena tour in Kansas City, Missouri. This tour comes eight years after her farewell world tour....which racked up $110 million from 89 shows to become 2000's top tour and the highest-grossing trek ever by a female artist (since topped by Madonna), according to Billboard Boxscore. So why is the 68-year-old hitting the road again, even after vowing to never return? "I wouldn't want to diminish my credibility, so if I'm ever going to do it, now is the time. I'm in shape. And once I saw some of the Bob Mackie costumes, I started getting excited." Another answer would be popular demand. I'm sure most of you saw Tina's performance with Beyonce at this year's 50th Grammy Awards (it also marked Tina's 50th year in the music industry!). She showed us that she still has what it takes to rock the stage....even while dancing next to Bey-Bey. That unforgettable performance is the catalyst that led to Tina's decision to go back out on tour. Fans wanted to see more of Anna Mae....and now, if they're lucky, she just might be in a city near you pretty soon. In the meantime, Tina recently sat down with USA Today and discussed everything from Beyonce to Aretha Franklin's slick-at-the-mouth 'I am the queen' comment (Aretha was pissed off when Beyonce introduced Tina as 'the queen' before their performance). Tina also revealed why she never acknowledged Ike's death.

TINA ON BEYONCE: "People said, 'You looked better than Beyoncé.' Well, that's not possible. It's nice that young people hold me up as a model. Beyoncé is elegant and is handling her career well. A lot of new stars go overboard on sex. They're half-naked up there. My dresses were a bit short, but I stayed respectable."

TINA ON ARETHA: "Aretha has always been like that. We've always accepted that from her. She's the queen of soul, and I'm the queen of rock 'n' roll. *snaps finger* There were so many kings and queens there that night. Her ego must be so big to think she was the only one. That's how queens are!"

TINA ON IKE'S DEATH: "It meant nothing to me. He had been dead to me for 20 years. When I left, I really left. It was a bad dream, and when you spend 16 years in a certain lifestyle, you never want to think about it again. My life then was much worse. It couldn't have gotten lower. And since then, every part of my life has been a high point."

TINA ON HER YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE AND ENERGY: "I look better than I did at times in the past.. Part of it may be luck of the draw. It could be good genes, but then again, as I look at my family, I have to say I'm the only one that got them."

Tina's greatest hits compilation Tina! is now in stores. Proud Mary, What's Love Got to Do With It and Private Dancer are just some of the hits included in the set. The singer is also contemplating writing a sequel to her best seller autobiography I, Tina. "Maybe in the next few years," she says. "My head is still quite useful. I'd like for it to be really quite funny and not so depressing."

Below check out a few promo pics of Tina.

.....