Mourners have gathered for the funeral of Bonnie Tyler this morning (Monday) at Swansea Minster. Following the service, Bonnie will be taken on a final journey through her hometown of Skewen, near Neath, at about 1.20pm, before a private family committal and farewell service. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart star, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in July at the age of 75.
Fans pay respects outside the church
Leigh Alexander, 42, from Swansea, was the first fan to arrive outside the church this morning, setting up her camping chair at 7.30am. She said: “I’ve grown up inspired by Gaynor and her music all my life, we’re lucky enough to know some of her family. We genuinely know she comes from a family of so much love, and the great thing is she’s never forgotten her roots.
“She’s just such a lovely person. I wanted her family to know that even though we’re not inside that we are here and that it means a lot to us.”
Gail and Andrew Hayes have travelled from Towcester, Northamptonshire, to be at the church and arrived outside at 8am. Mr Hayes, 58, said: “I’ve been a fan all my life. It’s been a soundtrack of our lives. It’s the end, isn’t it, it’s sad, so sad.”
Tributes from friends and colleagues
Welsh broadcaster Roy Noble, who befriended Bonnie Tyler after interviewing her, was among guests. He said: “It’s a great privilege (to be here) really because I’ve known Bonnie over the years. It’s very sad indeed, and we feel for Robert, her husband.
“(She was) very down to earth and very much a family girl. She had a few more years left in her. She was 75 when she passed away, so it’s an awful, awful shame.”
Welsh musician Mal Pope, a longtime friend of Bonnie Tyler, said it had been an “emotional” weekend. He said: “She felt like a really local person and I think sometimes we forgot she was an international superstar. We recorded together, we performed on stage together, she’d come on my TV and radio shows, she would always turn up to support me and never ever ask for anything in return.”
Service details and legacy
The service at Swansea Minster will be conducted by Reverend Canon Justin Davies, while the entry music will be two of Tyler’s songs: If I Sing You A Love Song and It’s A Heartache. Roger Bell, the talent scout who discovered the performer when she performed in a club in Swansea, will share a tribute at the service, as will Tyler’s long-time manager, Matthew Davis.
The order of service also lists Bridge Over Troubled Water, Only Men Aloud, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Those Were The Days and Making Love Out Of Nothing as other songs set to be played during Tyler’s funeral. Her family also asked that in lieu of flowers, people supported two charities of which she was a patron: Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru.
In the order of the service, they wrote the following of Tyler: “She is remembered as a warm, generous artist whose music touched generations and continues to fill dance floors and karaoke booths around the world.” They also said that Tyler’s legacy “lives on in the timeless songs that made her a legend”.
