‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ singer Bonnie Tyler dies at 75
One of rock’s most distinctive voices has gone silent. Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind the classics “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died at the age of 75.
The singer died at a hospital in Portugal, where she was being treated for an illness, according to a statement on her official Facebook page.
A legendary career made by an accidental raspy voice
Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, in Skewen, Neath, Wales, Tyler began her career singing in local clubs but didn’t reach stardom until after a vocal cord surgery that altered her voice forever.
After surgery on her vocal cords in the late 1970s, Tyler was told not to speak, but one frustrated scream permanently changed her voice.
After that, she launched into the industry with the 1977 hit “Lost in France,” before achieving major success with the 1978 hit “It’s a Heartache.”
It wasn’t until her collaboration with Jin Steinman, however, that she reached global stardom. Their 1983 anthem “Total Eclipse of the Heart” reached number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. and became one of the biggest power ballads of the 1980s.
“I’ve got a big soft spot for ‘It’s a Heartache’ and ‘Lost in France,’ but ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ is the monster hit,” Tyler said.
It earned several Grammy nominations and was followed by another smash hit in 1984: “Holding Out for a Hero,” a song featured in the movie “Footloose.”
A continued career and life outside of music
Following the success of those two songs, Tyler continued her career but never matched her initial level of success. She recorded 18 studio albums, represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013, and was honored by the British government for her contributions to music.
In 2004, she re-recorded “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in French, and it shot up to No. 1 in France.
She is survived by her husband, former Olympic judo competitor Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973. The two spent their more than five-decade marriage living a private life together, splitting time between their homes in Wales and Portugal.
They never had kids of their own, with Tyler becoming pregnant at 39 but miscarrying and failing to get pregnant again for the next two years. The couple spoke openly about their efforts, saying they decided it just wasn’t meant to be.
However, Tyler has added she regrets not trying to have children earlier.
“We always said ‘next year, next year’ and ‘next year’ didn’t come until I was 39,” Tyler said. However, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t happy with how life worked out.
“I do believe that God blessed me in life with a wonderful family, a successful career, and a loving marriage, and I remain thankful for that blessing,” Tyler said.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
