Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, known for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” died at 75 in a Portuguese hospital after an illness. Born Gaynor Hopkins, she rose to fame in the 1970s-80s, represented the UK at Eurovision 2013, and is survived by husband Robert Sullivan.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind the powerhouse 1980s hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, has passed away at the age of 75.Bonnie Tyler’s final days before deathAccording to New York Times, Tyler died Wednesday in a Portuguese hospital following an illness, according to a statement posted on her official Facebook page. The post noted that she had undergone emergency intestinal surgery at a hospital in Faro, where she owned a home, after which she was placed in a coma and remained in intensive care.Bonnie Tyler’s early life and rise to fameTyler, born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, launched her music career in the 1970s and found fame with her 1977 debut album “The World Starts Tonight,” which included the hit “Lost in France” and helped bring her music to audiences worldwide.Bonnie Tyler’s surgery and path to international successTyler underwent surgery early in her career to remove nodules on her vocal cords, an operation that reshaped her voice into the raspy sound she would later become known for, reported. Her music, a mix of pop, rock and country, brought her worldwide success, starting with the international hit “It’s a Heartache” in 1977 and followed by an even bigger breakthrough the following decade. Bonnie Tyler’s career-defining hitsTyler hit her career peak with ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, penned by Jim Steinman, a song that topped charts globally and went on to become one of the era’s defining tracks, amassing over a billion streams on both Spotify and YouTube over the years. She also lent her voice to ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, featured in the 1984 film ‘Footloose’ and ‘Here She Comes’, which brought her a Grammy nomination following its appearance in the restored version of ‘Metropolis’.Bonnie Tyler’s later years and final projectsIn her later years, Tyler remained active as a performer and recording artist, representing the United Kingdom at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Believe in Me’. She went on to release her 18th studio album, ‘The Best Is Yet to Come’, in 2021, followed by her autobiography, ‘Straight From the Heart’, in 2023.Bonnie Tyler’s surviving familyTyler is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she wed in 1973.
