Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart singer, dies after illness aged 75
9 July 2026, 11:06
The Welsh singer - who was known for her hits Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero and It's a Heartache, has died at the age of 75.
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Bonnie Tyler has died unexpectedly after an “illness” in Portugal at the age of 75.
A message on the Total Eclipse Of The Heart singer’s website confirmed the news on Thursday (9th July), which 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.”
In May this year, the singer - who hails from Skewen in south Wales, was placed into an induced coma after having an emergency intestinal surgery in Faro, Portugal.
In June her family announced she was out of her coma but remained in hospital "very unwell".
Bonnie Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins on 8th June 8,1951 in Skewen, South Wales to coal miner and Second World War veteran Glyndŵr Hopkins, a and homemaker Elsie Hopkins.
One of six children, she grew up in a council house in Neath and enjoyed a childhood filled with a variety of musical influences from Elvis Presley and The Beatles to the religious music of her family’s local Protestant chapel.
She was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell in a club in Swansea, and released her first single Lost in France in 1977.
Her country-pop ballad It's a Heartache -which was released the same year - reached number four on the UK singles chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Known for her gravelly vocals, six years later she released her biggest hit, Total Eclipse of the Heart, which topped the charts on both sides of the pond and made her the first Welsh person to score a number one hit in the US.
The hit also earned her her first GRAMMY nod, with two more nominations to follow for her album Faster Than the Speed of Night (1983) and her 1984 single Here She Comes.
Tyler represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013, finishing in 19th place out of 26.
In 2023, she was honoured with an MBE for her services to music.
Bonnie Tyler is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Robert Sullivan, who she tied the knot with in 1973.
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around) (Official Video)
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