Bonnie Tyler, the husky-voiced Welsh singer who defined the 1980s with her power ballad Total Eclipse Of The Heart, has died at the age of 73. A statement on her website announced that she unexpectedly passed away in a hospital in Faro, Portugal, as a result of an illness she was being treated for, following emergency intestinal surgery in May.
Early Life and Vocal Transformation
Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, in Skewen, Neath, South Wales, she grew up in a council house with three sisters and two brothers. Her father, Glyndwr Hopkins, was a coal miner, and her mother, Elsie (née Lewis), raised the family in a deeply religious home, attending chapel three times on Sundays. It was there she gave her first public performance, singing the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful.
In 1969, after leaving school at 16 with no qualifications, she entered a local talent contest on an aunt's encouragement, finishing second. The £1 prize spurred her to pursue music, initially as a backing singer with Bobby Wayne and the Dixies.
The Voice That Changed Everything
In 1975, talent scout Roger Bell spotted her performing in the Townsman Club in Swansea and invited her to London to record a demo. Months later, RCA offered her a contract, advising her to change her name. She chose Bonnie Tyler from a list in a newspaper. Her debut single My! My! Honeycomb flopped, but the follow-up Lost In France reached number nine in the UK singles chart, leading to her first Top Of The Pops appearance.
In spring 1977, while celebrating Lost In France, Tyler developed a sore throat. Doctors diagnosed nodules on her vocal cords from excessive singing and recommended surgery. After the operation, she was told to rest her voice completely for six weeks. Unable to comply, she screamed in frustration, causing permanent damage. When healed, her voice had transformed into a gravelly rasp. Her producers loved it. “When I went into the studio they all said, ‘Bloody ‘ell, where’s that voice come from?’” she recalled. “I now sounded like a female Rod Stewart.”
Global Success with Total Eclipse Of The Heart
In November 1977, It’s A Heartache, one of her first post-operation recordings, became a worldwide hit, reaching number three in the US and number four in the UK, selling around six million copies. In the 1980s, with a new contract with CBS/Columbia, Tyler sought a new sound. She was determined to work with producer Jim Steinman, known for Meat Loaf's work, despite initial reluctance from Steinman. After hearing her demo tapes, he agreed.
At his New York apartment, Steinman played Total Eclipse Of The Heart for her. “I just had shivers up my spine,” she said. “I couldn’t wait to actually get in and record it.” The song, with its soaring piano chords and dramatic lyrics, topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Steinman told People magazine: “I never thought it had a prayer as a single. It was an aria to me, a Wagnerian-like onslaught of sound and emotion. I wrote it to be a showpiece for her voice.” The album Faster Than The Speed Of Night went to number one in the UK and number three in the US.
Later Career and Eurovision
Steinman also wrote and produced Holding Out For A Hero, featured in the film Footloose, giving her another massive hit. Though singles chart success later waned, she continued touring and recording prolifically. A gutsy performer, she drank a shot of Jack Daniels with Red Bull before going on stage, joking “it gives me wings.” In 1988, at the Reading Rock Festival, she faced a hostile crowd throwing bottles and cans, some filled with urine. Her band wanted to flee, but Tyler insisted on completing her set, dismissing the throwers as “bad shots.” She left to cheers. Meat Loaf, who followed, lasted only three numbers before a bottle broke his nose.
In 2013, she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with Believe In Me, finishing 19th out of 26 with 23 points. She remained upbeat: “I did the best that I could do with a great song. I don’t feel down and I’m ready to party.” In 2019, she performed before Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Concerto di Natale, calling it a career highlight.
Personal Life and Final Days
Tyler married Robert Sullivan, a property developer and former Olympic judo competitor, at age 22. They delayed starting a family due to her career. At 39, she became pregnant but miscarried; they did not try again. In May, she underwent emergency intestinal surgery in Faro, Portugal, near her home. She was forced to cancel all upcoming shows, including a performance at Worcester's Sunshine Festival and a December 17 date at Cardiff's Utilita Arena. Her website announced her unexpected death on Thursday, stating she passed away in hospital from the illness being treated.
