British singer Bonnie Tyler, a star of the 1980s known for her hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died at age 75, her family announced in a statement Thursday.
“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie passed away unexpectedly last night in a hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness for which she was being treated,” it was written in this press release published on the star’s Facebook account.
Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951 in Skewen, a small mining village in Wales, the future star grew up in a large, music-loving working-class family. Lulled by gospel, but also by the raw energy of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, she began singing as a teenager in local clubs under the pseudonym Sherene Davis.
Her trajectory changed in the mid-1970s when she was spotted by producer Roger Bell. Officially becoming Bonnie Tyler for the industry, she scored her first major international hit in 1977 with the folk-pop country song “It’s a Heartache.”
However, it was a health accident that paradoxically shaped his vocal signature. In 1976, having surgery for vocal cord nodules, she broke the medical order to remain absolutely silent during her convalescence. His voice definitely comes out hoarse, rough and powerful.
The peak of his glory came in the early 1980s thanks to a crucial collaboration with composer Jim Steinman. The latter, seduced by his emotional power, offered him “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983), a gothic and theatrical rock ballad of rare intensity. The song reached number one in the UK and US, propelling the album ‘Faster Than the Speed of Night’ to the top of the world charts. The same team did it again shortly after with the explosive “Holding Out for a Hero” (1984), soundtrack to the film “Footloose”.
Over the decades, Bonnie Tyler has diversified her repertoire and maintained immense popularity in Europe. She collaborates in particular with French artists, making an impression in 2003 alongside Kareen Antonn for the bilingual duo “Si demain… (“Turn Around”), which has sold more than two million copies. In 2013, she took on the challenge of representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Believe in Me”.
A tireless worker and stage beast, Bonnie Tyler has never stopped touring the world and recording in the studio, releasing her latest album, “The Best Is Yet to Come,” in 2021.
