Bonnie Tyler, the unmistakable voice behind some of the biggest power ballads ever recorded, has died at the age of 75.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Welsh singer, whose career spanned five decades and produced timeless hits including ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, and ‘It’s a Heartache’, passed away in hospital in Portugal following an illness.
Her family confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement shared on her official social media channels on Thursday morning (July 9).
“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” the announcement read. “We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”
Tyler – born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen near Neath, South Wales – had been seriously ill in recent months, with her loved ones keeping fans up-to-date via her social media pages.
In May, she was placed into an induced coma after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal. Last month, her spokesperson confirmed she had come out of the coma but remained “very unwell and in intensive care”, BBC News reports.
Her death marks the end of an extraordinary musical career that saw her go from a young girl in a council house in southern Wales into one of the most recognisable voices in popular music.
She first found success after being discovered by talent scout Roger Bell while performing in a Swansea club following years of playing rugby clubs and working men’s clubs across Wales.
Reflecting on that life-changing moment, Tyler once said, via BBC: “He knew that Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolf were looking for a girl to record their songs so he told them about me.
“I went to London and one of the first demos I recorded was Lost in France and then I was on Top Of The Pops.”
Released in 1977, ‘Lost in France’ introduced Tyler to audiences before ‘It’s a Heartache’ became her breakthrough hit, climbing to number four in the UK Singles Chart and reaching number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
However, it was 1983 that cemented her place in music history.
‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, written by Jim Steinman, topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic and remains one of the defining songs of the decade.
Originally written for a musical adaptation of Nosferatu under the title ‘Vampires in Love’, the song became Tyler’s signature anthem.
Speaking about hearing it for the first time, she recalled: “The first time I heard it was when [songwriter] Jim Steinman just played it on the piano in New York. He sang the song all the way through and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this song is amazing. I can’t believe Jim is giving it to me’.
“When I recorded the song, I thought no-one is going to end up playing this because it’s so long.
“The original version is eight minutes long.”
The radio edit proved to be a worldwide phenomenon, spending two weeks at number one in the UK and four weeks atop the US charts.
Even after performing it for more than four decades, Tyler insisted she never grew tired of singing the classic.
“I never get tired of singing it,” she recently told BBC News. “I love it because everyone can’t wait to sing it.”
Last year she released ‘Together’, a club version of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ produced by David Guetta and Hypaton.
Earlier this year, the original recording surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, while its iconic music video has amassed more than 1.3 billion views on YouTube.
Reacting to the streaming milestone, Tyler joked: “I’m really happy, when you think about it, there’s only 8.3 billion people in the world.”
Throughout her career she became known for her unmistakable husky vocals, earning comparisons to Rod Stewart and producing further classics including ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, recorded for the Footloose soundtrack, and ‘If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)’.
She also received three Grammy nominations — for ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, the album Faster Than the Speed of Night and the single ‘Here She Comes’.
Away from the charts, Tyler represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013, finishing 19th.
She was later recognised for her contribution to music, being appointed an MBE in 2023.
Receiving the honour remained one of the proudest moments of her life. “I grew up in a council house. I never thought I would have an MBE,” she said in 2023.
Following the announcement of her death, thousands of tributes quickly began appearing online from devastated fans celebrating both her music and the impact it had on generations.
“Such sad, heartbreaking news to hear, condolences to all of Bonnie’s family and friends,” one person wrote, with another adding: “My heart is broken. Love and deepest sympathies to Bonnie’s husband and family.”
“Very sad news indeed, RIP Bonnie Tyler & thank you for sharing your talent with us, condolences to her family, friends & fans,” typed a third.
From performing in local Welsh clubs to becoming one of the defining voices of the 1980s, Bonnie Tyler built a legacy that few artists can match.
She is survived by her husband of more than 50 years, Robert Sullivan.
Our thoughts go out to her family, friends, and fans at this time.
Featured image credit: Facebook/BonnieTyler/YouTube/Bonnie Tyler
