"Total Eclipse Of The Heart" Singer Bonnie Tyler Dead At 75
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer-songwriter behind classic 1980’s anthems like “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” and “Holding Out For A Hero” has died in Portugal following a brief illness. Tyler was 75 years old, and she’d been previously placed in a medically-induced coma following intestinal surgery back in May of this year. While she recovered from that incident last month, it’s not clear how, if at all, her death this week was related.
An announcement posted on Tyler’s official website today stated that her family was “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 message said that more information would be shared later, and that the family was requesting privacy during this tragic time.
As noted above, Tyler’s biggest hit was “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” (watch below), which made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and spawned multiple cover versions by other artists. Tyler had a prolific career and discography, releasing 18 studio albums and touring globally over the last 40 years. She was born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, in 1951, and later picked Bonnie Tyler as her stage name. Tyler was one of seven children, and she’s survived by her husband.
Tyler had another hit with “Holding Out For A Hero” in 1984. The song (watch below) was featured on the Footloose soundtrack and peaked at #34 on the Hot 100.
Finally, here’s a live version of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” from the UK’s Top Of The Pops, in which you can hear just how strong and unique her voice was:
