Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose famously raspy voice turned songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero” into some of the biggest hits of the 1980s, has died. She was 75 years old.
“Bonnie’s family and team are deeply saddened to announce that Bonnie passed away unexpectedly last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness she was being treated for,” a message posted on Tyler’s official website said. Last May, the singer entered an artificial coma after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery.
With her piercing blue eyes, big blonde hair, shoulder pads and booming voice, Tyler became one of the leading female singers of the 1980s in both the US and her native UK, and, along with Cardiff-born Shirley Bassey, became one of the most successful singers ever to come from Wales.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skiwen, Wales in 1951, Tyler was discovered singing in clubs in nearby Swansea. She first made a name for herself in the music industry in the late 1970s thanks to her hit song “Lost In France” from her debut album. The world begins tonight Through RCA Records. I followed this album with the 70’s album natural force, Which included the lead single “It’s a Heartache”. (The album was released as It’s heartbreak In the United States) Both the song and album went gold in the United States
Tyler released two more albums with RCA before signing with Columbia, where she released her Faster than the speed of the night In 1983. This album went platinum and featured what became her biggest hit, the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” written by Jim Steinman, which became a pop culture phenomenon. Steinman was the lyricist for “Meatloaf,” and there has long been speculation that she originally wrote the powerful Wagnerian rock song, although Tyler has always denied that was the case.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” went platinum in the US, leading to Tyler being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She also received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance for the album Faster than the speed of the night. In the United Kingdom, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” topped the singles chart and became one of the best-selling singles of 1983. It has since become one of the defining songs of the decade on both sides of the Atlantic.
The brilliant music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was directed by Australian director Russell Mulcahy, who would go on to direct it. Highlander. The video has received more than 1.3 billion views on YouTube.
The song’s lasting legacy saw it appear in a first season episode of Rapturewith stars Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and special guest star Jonathan Groff performing the song. A comedic version of the song was featured in the Will Ferrell film Old schoolsung by Dan’s band.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” has also been covered by several artists, most notably English singer Nicki French, who achieved international success with her version of the song in October 1994.
Despite the song’s massive success in the 1980s, and its continued strong performance online, Tyler told the BBC in January that she was getting almost nothing out of the song.
Tyler and Steinman would strike gold again with another brutal hit in 1984 with the pulsating and highly dramatic “Hold Out for a Hero,” which was featured on the Kevin Bacon movie soundtrack. Loose. Chartwise, “Hold Out for a Hero” did not reach the same heights as Tyler-Steinman’s previous single, peaking at No. 2 in the UK and only No. 34 on the US chart. Bulletin board table.
However, like Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero has become an indelible part of the fabric of 1980s culture, a needle drop almost everywhere across media, and finding its way into other films such as Partner 2 And recently super mario bros movie, And TV shows like trance and Regular display As well as the soundtrack to countless advertisements around the world. Ella Mae Bowen recorded a cover of the song for the 2011 remake of Loose Which starred Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough and Miles Teller.
In 1986, Tyler followed up Faster than the speed of the night with Secret dreams and forbidden firewhich included the song “If I Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)” written by legendary songwriter Desmond Child. This song did not surpass her previous songs, although its melody remained, as Child collaborated with Bon Jovi to release a modified version, becoming one of the biggest rock songs of all time with “You Give Love A Bad Name.” (This tune was reused again with Ava Max’s hit song “Kings and Queens” in 2020.)
Tyler kept releasing music steadily throughout the early 2000s, and in 2013, she represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Believe in Me” from her album. Rocks and honey. Tyler will release 18 studio albums during her career, with her last coming in 2021 with The best is yet to come.
Even during her 1980s days, Tyler maintained close links with the Swansea area where she was born. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Swansea University in 2013, and also became a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Tyler was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List in 2022 and was awarded an OBE for services to music by Prince William the following year.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.
