Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singing legend behind the iconic hit 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' has died at the age of 75. Her official website confirmed the news, stating that she passed away unexpectedly in a hospital in Portugal due to an illness she was being treated for. The statement, released on Thursday morning, added: '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. We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.'
Tyler, from Skewen, south Wales, had been placed into an induced coma in May following emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal. By June, her spokesperson confirmed she had regained consciousness, though she remained 'very unwell and in intensive care.'
Bonnie Tyler's Exchange with Meat Loaf
Three years before her passing, Tyler revealed in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk that she and fellow music legend Meat Loaf were on good terms prior to his death in 2022, despite the rock icon previously being 'p****d off' with her for landing what would become her biggest hit, 'Total Eclipse of the Heart.'
The Welsh singer claimed that Meat Loaf and legendary songwriter Jim Steinman had a falling out when Steinman offered the iconic track to her rather than him, after the rocker lost his voice in the 1980s. In the 2023 interview, Tyler laughed as she recalled how the 'Bat out of Hell' hitmaker would regularly remind her that the song had originally been intended for him. She said: 'Meat Loaf was a bit p****d off about it. He was fine. He used to say, "Bonnie that song should've been for me!"'
Admitting she mischievously told him 'tough' in response to his frustration, she said: 'Well he didn't give it to you, he gave it to me, so... tough.' Reflecting on their exchanges, she added: 'It was always friendly banter.'
Clarifying the Song's Origins
Previous reports had indicated that Steinman had originally offered the track to Meat Loaf, who supposedly rejected it. Tyler, however, clarified the situation, disclosing she was given the song after the musician suffered vocal problems. Speaking on 2GB Sydney in 2021, she explained: 'He also fell out with Jim Steinman at that time - they got back together in the end, but at that time they fell out. But Jim Steinman started writing that song for a musical and then he didn't do anything else about it.'
Tyler showed there were no hard feelings between herself and Meat Loaf when she paid an emotional tribute to him after his death. The American performer passed away following an illness aged 74, leaving Tyler 'shocked and saddened.'
Tribute to Meat Loaf
In a tribute shared with People! Magazine at the time, she said: 'It was hearing his Bat Out Of Hell album, an all-time classic, that inspired me to want to work with the late Jim Steinman. I was privileged to later have an album with Meat Loaf and Jim, Heaven and Hell. He was, as you might imagine, a larger-than-life character with a voice and stage presence to match and is one of those rare people who truly was a one off talent and personality. I will miss him as will his millions of fans all over the world. Rest In Peace.'
