Tributes pour in for one of rock’s most unmistakable voices.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ and ‘It’s a Heartache’, has died aged 75.
The singer’s family confirmed she died in hospital in Portugal, where she had been receiving treatment following an illness.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, Tyler became one of the most recognisable voices in pop and rock thanks to her gravelly, high-drama delivery.
That voice became her trademark after surgery on vocal nodules in the 1970s, giving her the raspy edge that would go on to define decades of big, cinematic songwriting.
Her first major international hit came with 1977’s ‘It’s a Heartache’, before her work with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman pushed her into a whole new level of global fame.
In 1983, Tyler released ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, a towering, theatrical power ballad that topped charts around the world and became one of the defining songs of the decade.
A year later, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ arrived via the Footloose soundtrack, cementing her place as one of the great voices of the ’80s.
Following news of her death, tributes have been shared across music and entertainment.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had a family connection to Tyler through her husband Robert Sullivan, remembered her as an extraordinary singer and one of the funniest people she had known.
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Rod Stewart also paid tribute, noting the pair’s shared raspy vocal style, while Bryan Adams remembered Tyler’s version of his song ‘Straight From the Heart’.
Kevin Bacon, forever tied to ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ through Footloose, also honoured her as one of rock’s great voices.
Tyler’s music always knew exactly what it was doing. It was big, emotional, theatrical and completely unembarrassed by its own drama.
She could turn heartbreak into something arena-sized, and somehow make it feel personal at the same time.
She leaves behind a catalogue built on huge choruses, bigger feeling, and one of the most instantly recognisable voices in pop history.
