Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer best known for her iconic track Total Eclipse of the Heart, has died at the age of 75. Her death was reported today, weeks after she underwent emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma. A message on her website stated: "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." Tyler had been due to embark on a European tour later this year but was hospitalized in May after falling ill.
The Financial Reality of a Hit Song
Despite the international success of Total Eclipse of the Heart, Tyler revealed she made virtually no money from it. The song, which became the lead single from her fifth studio album Faster Than the Speed of Night, was written by acclaimed songwriter Jim Steinman. Steinman, who also worked with Celine Dion and Meat Loaf, penned the track and retained all publishing royalties, leaving Tyler without a songwriting credit and thus no income from the song's continued success.
The song has reached over a billion streams online, 43 years after its release. However, Tyler saw none of that revenue. "The first time I heard it was when Jim Steinman just played it on the piano in New York," Tyler recalled. "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.'"
The Origins of Total Eclipse of the Heart
It has been reported that Tyler took on the track after Meat Loaf, who frequently collaborated with Steinman, lost his voice and was unable to record it. Tyler remembered, "Every time I saw Meat Loaf, he said, 'Bonnie, that song should have been mine.' I said, 'Well, Jim gave it to me.'"
The original version of the song was eight minutes long, but it was cut in half for radio play. Despite this, it soared to number one on both sides of the Atlantic, became the best-selling single of 1983, and remains a karaoke classic.
The Song's True Meaning
Tyler initially thought the song was about "someone who wants to love so badly she's lying there in complete darkness." However, Steinman later revealed that the track was actually a vampire love song. He explained, "With 'Total Eclipse of the Heart', I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was 'Vampires in Love' because I was working on a musical of Nosferatu. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love's place in the dark."
Bonnie Tyler's Legacy
Despite not earning royalties from her biggest hit, Tyler's legacy as a powerhouse vocalist endures. Her death marks the end of an era for fans of 1980s pop and rock. She is survived by her family and a catalog of great hits that defined a generation.
