Bonnie Tyler, the singer who was also a Grammy-nominated Welsh singer whose powerful, raspy voice made “Total Eclipse of the Heart” one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, died at the age of 75.
According to a statement released by her family on Thursday, Tyler died suddenly at a hospital in Portugal where she was being treated for an illness. She had been hospitalized in May in Faro for emergency intestinal surgery and was later placed in an induced coma.
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 family said in a statement.
A Voice That Defined an Era
Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, and had to work hard to make it into pop music’s top 10 names.
Her breakthrough came with “Lost in France” in 1977, followed by “It’s a Heartache” in 1978. But it was her 1983 launch of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” which made her a worldwide superstar.
Produced by the great songwriter Jim Steinman, the dramatic power ballad shot up the charts around the world, spent four weeks at No. 1, was nominated for a Grammy and became one of the most important songs of the decade.
The song was popular again during the 2017 and 2024 solar eclipses, with over one billion streams and over one billion YouTube views, and Tyler's music was much more familiar to new generations of viewers.
Distinctive Voice Born from Surgery
Tyler’s distinct husky voice became her trademark after she underwent surgery in 1976 to remove vocal cord nodules.
Instead of narrowing her career, the procedure provided her with a unique vocal style that would be used to help define classics like "Holding Out for a Hero," “It’s a Heartache” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.
Career Spanning Five Decades
Tyler had three Grammy Award nominations over a career of almost 50 years, represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and was awarded MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for service to music in 2023.
She kept recording and touring well into her later years and released albums like Between the Earth and the Stars and Rocks and Honey, working with artists such as Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard and Francis Rossi.
An Enduring Musical Legacy
Bonnie Tyler’s songs were frequently played in movies, television shows, sporting events and popular culture and her music stuck around long after they were released.
With her trademark voice, theatrical displays and timeless anthems, Tyler left behind a musical legacy that has influenced artists and fans across the world.
I know there will be tributes from everybody from musicians, public figures and fans who have come to know of one of pop music’s most iconic voices.
