Hundreds of Bonnie Tyler fans lined the streets in the Mumbles, Swansea, to pay their respects as the singer's coffin was transported to her former home. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart singer, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in July at the age of 75.
The coffin, draped in the Welsh flag and accompanied by a photograph of the late singer, was met with applause as fans sang Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
Fans Pay Tribute
Among those waiting was Carys Edwards, 18, who described Tyler as “an inspiration to everybody”. She said: “Her music touched a lot of people, especially me. I’m quite surprised how many people came here today, but then not as well, because she was such an icon. She was always coming home and making sure that she came back to her fans in Wales.”
Her mother, Melanie Smith, 53, added: “Most importantly, she was a Swansea girl, and she didn’t forget that.” Michael Bone, 58, and his partner Alan Hawkins, 54, travelled from Derby to watch the procession. Mr Bone said: “We thought it’d be nice to pay our respects. For me personally, it’s because in my teens, her music was quite prolific, for me it was her most iconic period in the 1980s.”
Community Mourning
Sarah Thomas, from Swansea, said: “She’s somebody that has been part of Mumbles life. She was just a really nice person. Just a normal person who happened to be famous.” Leanne Gwither added that the singer had “no airs or graces”. Tony Firkins, a friend of Tyler and her family, said: “We’ve known her for years. She’s a fantastic lady, very generous with her time. It’s such a sad thing.”
Fans travelled from as far as Austria to watch the procession. Newton Road was lined with hundreds of people, while others waited outside Tyler's home on Mumbles Road, where floral tributes were laid.
Final Journey
A celebration of Bonnie's life, for family and friends, will take place at Swansea Minster on Monday, before the singer makes a final journey through her hometown of Skewen.
Bonnie died in Portugal weeks after she was placed in an induced coma following emergency intestinal surgery. A message on her website read: "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."
The star, who split her time between South Wales and her home in Faro, Portugal, had been due to embark on a European tour later this year but was hospitalised in May. She is survived by her husband Robert Sullivan, an Olympian, whom she married in 1973.
