Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind iconic hits such as 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and 'Holding Out for a Hero,' has died at the age of 75. Her death was confirmed in a statement on her website, which read: 'Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal.' The statement added that her death was 'as a result of the illness that she was being treated for' and requested privacy.
Health Struggles and Hospitalization
Tyler had been admitted to a hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she owns a home, after experiencing severe abdominal pain around a month ago. She underwent emergency intestinal surgery after her appendix burst. According to her friend Liberto Mealha, 'She decided to travel to the Algarve, where she began to feel severe abdominal pain. Two days later, she went to a private hospital, which urgently transferred her to the hospital in Faro because her appendix had burst and she needed emergency surgery.' Following the surgery, she suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated, as reported by Portuguese publication Correio da Manha. Earlier this month, her representative confirmed she was no longer in a coma but remained in intensive care and 'very unwell.'
Early Life and Career
Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, in Skewen, Neath, Wales, Tyler began her music career after finishing second in a talent contest just before turning 18. She worked as a backup singer before being spotted performing with her band Imagination in a Swansea club in 1975. She signed with RCA Records and adopted the stage name Bonnie Tyler. Her first hit, 'Lost in France,' came in 1976. However, early in her career, she underwent vocal cord nodule surgery. Tyler recalled to The Observer in 2009: 'You’re not supposed to talk for six weeks after the operation, but I found it very difficult because I’m a bit of a chatterbox. One day I just screamed out of frustration, then went back to the specialist and he said I had done damage to my voice and it would take six months for me to recover.' Her voice returned huskier, which became her signature sound. She noted, 'It turned out losing my voice was not too treacherous for me – I had my first hit in America with my new husky voice on It’s a Heartache.'
Major Hits and Collaborations
'It’s a Heartache,' released in November 1977, became Tyler's first major success, peaking at number four in the UK singles chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In the 1980s, she signed with CBS and collaborated with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman, known for his work with Meat Loaf. Together, they produced 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' released in February 1983, which became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Steinman also wrote 'Holding Out for a Hero' for Tyler. She continued to release albums into the 1990s and 2000s, with her final album, 'The Best Is Yet to Come,' released in 2021. In 2013, she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Believe in Me,' finishing 19th with 23 points. She told The Mirror in 2025 that she 'never, ever tires' of singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' but her favorite song remains 'Lost in France,' as it launched her career.
Personal Life and Legacy
Tyler is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, a former Olympian in judo and property developer. They married on July 4, 1973, and had no children; Tyler suffered a miscarriage at age 39. She also leaves behind three sisters, two brothers (one deceased), and numerous nieces and nephews. Tyler was involved in charity work, including the Anti-Heroin Project in 1986, Ferry Aid in 1987 for the Zeebrugge Disaster, and as a patron of Bobath Children’s Therapy in Wales and ambassador for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice for Wales. She also participated in fundraising for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the Covid-19 pandemic. Her discography includes 17 studio albums, from 'The World Starts Tonight' (1977) to 'The Best Is Yet to Come' (2021).
