Compton resident Marian Peterson occasionally puts aside her Tina Turner wigs and dons a motorcycle helmet, riding with the local Motorcycle Set for charitable projects.

Peterson’s alter ego, “Miss Showtime,” performs frequently for functions in the area and across the country. She will be performing with her backup singers and dancers, the Elegant Images, for the New Year's Gala at Dollarhide Senior Center, 1108 N. Oleander Avenue.

She is also the only female member of the Magnificent 7, a motorcycle group that is part of the Motorcycle Set, composed of members of several local groups. What does she ride? “A Harley, of course,” she replies. “I bought a Honda 750 when I first began riding in 1975. I bought the Harley several years ago.”

In 2001 Peterson retired from Northrop, where she had a career as an aircraft mechanic, a far cry from singing, dancing, impersonating Tina Turner or straddling a Harley.

“I’ve always been fascinated by Tina,” she says. “Through the years I have followed her career and my admiration for her has grown. It was always my fantasy to do a Tina Turner act.”

For her 50th birthday party, Peterson rented a mansion for a “fantasy party” — and during the event she descended a grand staircase to greet her friends dressed as Tina Turner. “Walking down a beautiful staircase like the old Hollywood stars was another fantasy of mine. So I combined the two,” she said.

In order to develop her Tina Turner review, she worked with a well-known choreographer for three months. When she laid her high-energy act on her friends, they responded with cheers and shouts. “It gave me a taste of what it’s like to be her,” said Peterson. “And that was all I needed to convince me that I wanted to do this again.”

So she developed a side career as an entertainer and works as often as four times a month. “When I get my Tina stuff on, I am not myself anymore,” she said. “My entire persona changes.”

When in costume she is a dead ringer for the 60-plus rock star. So much so that after performing a few times in the area she began to get calls for bookings at parties and special events. While she does not sing in her Tina review, she and the Elegant Images lip-synch a powerful rendition of the singers’ many hits, re-creating the strenuous dance steps and rocking presence that is Turner’s trademark.

While on the surface it appears there is no real link between the Tina trip and the Harley chick, to Peterson it was a natural pairing.. But to Peterson it was a natural pairing. “I’m an adrenaline addict,” she said. “I love the excitement of starting up a motorcycle and riding with the pack. It’s as exciting as getting up onstage as Tina.”

Besides, the motorcycle came many years before the Tina wardrobe.

“Riding my bike is a big part of my life,” Peterson says. “And it’s not all partying. We do many charitable things to help people in the community, especially children.”

Over the holidays, the Motorcycle Set organized a toy run, riding through the streets of Los Angeles to Children’s Hospital to deliver toys. The group gathered at the Dream Center, with more than 800 riders participating. The kickoff at the Dream Center featured celebrities including Magic Johnson and Sugar Ray Leonard.

“We do six events like this a year,” said Peterson. “We especially focus on children fighting Sickle Cell Anemia.”

The Motorcycle Set holds yearly meetings attended by bikers from all across the country. “Last year we met in North Carolina,” she said. “This year it will be in Florida.”

Peterson is considered one of the “hardest female riders” in the area. She is a road captain in her motorcycle club and is responsible for coordinating the group’s special events and rides, selecting the routes, determining the schedule and selecting the starting place.

She is accustomed to being the only female among a group of male riders. “I started out riding horses,” she said. “In the early 70s I was a member of the L.A. Jay Hawks, a group of black cowboys who competed on the rodeo circuit. I had a Golden Palomino and competed in the games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.”

According to Peterson, there is great similarity between riding motorcycles and riding horses. “You are out there, exposed to the elements, often going at high speeds,” she said. “It takes a lot of concentration to keep yourself safe. You have to pay attention and stay focused.”

If you think about it, performing a frenetic act as the incomparable Tina Turner has the same requirements and elements. So why not mix the two by dressing in Tina garb and taking to the streets on the Harley?

“Actually, I would love to do that,” Peterson laughed. “It would be a blending of my two ultimate fantasies. It would be so much fun. I’d love to ride around dressed as Tina just to see the looks on people’s faces as I pass by.”

But there is one obstacle to the pursuit of that daydream. “Helmets,” she said. “I can’t quite see how I can wear the Tina wig under the helmet — and helmets are necessary gear for motorcycle riders. It’s against the law to ride without one.

“Besides, it’s dangerous and foolish.”

So for the time being, you might see “Tina Turner” shaking it up at a local event or private party. But you’re not likely to see her on a Harley.

Too bad.

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