Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, best known for the chart-topping hits Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero, has died at the age of 75, prompting an outpouring of tributes from her family, fans and political leaders.
Her family confirmed the news in a statement posted on the singer’s official Facebook page, saying Tyler died in a hospital in Portugal after battling an illness.
“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 statement read.
Tyler had undergone emergency intestinal surgery at a hospital near Faro, Portugal, in May. She was later placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery before being taken out of it, though her representative had said she remained in intensive care, according to The Guardian.
Brother says family is ‘totally devastated’
Tyler’s brother, Paul Hopkins, shared an emotional tribute on Facebook following her death. “Yesterday my sister lost her battle with her illness,” he wrote.
“We are totally devastated as a family, she was such a loving, wonderful human, she always had time for all her family, friends and her fans.” Hopkins ended the message with a final tribute to his sister, writing, “I will love you forever.”
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From Welsh clubs to global stardom
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen near Swansea, Wales, Tyler began her music career singing cover songs in local clubs while working in a grocery shop. After being discovered by a talent scout, she signed with RCA Records and adopted the stage name Bonnie Tyler.
Her breakthrough came with It’s a Heartache in 1977, but worldwide fame followed in 1983 with Total Eclipse of the Heart. Written and produced by Jim Steinman, the power ballad topped the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom and became one of the defining songs of the 1980s.
She followed that success with Holding Out for a Hero, featured on the soundtrack of the 1984 film Footloose, cementing her status as one of the era’s biggest pop stars.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Tyler, describing her as “one of Britain’s greatest recording artists.”
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“The prime minister is saddened to hear about the death of Bonnie Tyler, one of Britain’s greatest recording artists, an iconic figure,” his spokesperson said. “She leaves behind a catalogue of music, from Total Eclipse of the Heart to Holding Out for a Hero that continues to touch lives, flood dance floors, and fill karaoke booths.”
Tyler represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 with Believe in Me and continued recording and touring well into her later years. Her final studio album, The Best Is Yet to Come, was released in 2021.