Bonnie Tyler: Singer Bonnie Tyler is dead

Singer Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75. Her family announced this. Accordingly, she died “unexpectedly” in a hospital in Portugal. She was treated there for an illness. The family was “deeply shocked.”

As the BBC reported, Bonnie Tyler was admitted to hospital in May in the Algarve town of Faro, where she last lived, for an emergency intestinal operation. During the course of the treatment she was put into an artificial coma. She woke up from this last month, but Tyler had to stay in the intensive care unit.

“We will release another statement shortly, but ask for privacy for now in order to process this tragedy,” the family said on the artist’s homepage.

“It’s a Heartache” first big success

Bonnie Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951 in Skewen, Wales. She grew up in simple circumstances with several siblings and began singing at an early age in clubs and pubs in her homeland. To avoid confusion with another singer, she adopted the stage name at the beginning of her career.

The singer owes the start of her career to a happy coincidence. A talent scout from London, who actually wanted to meet a young singer in South Wales, heard Tyler at a gig in the mid-70s and got her a record deal shortly afterwards. With the single Lost In France she achieved her first success in 1976. A year later did It’s a Heartache she is world famous.

Chart success with producer and songwriter Jim Steinman

After a few less successful years, the singer reinvented herself musically in the early 80s. Their greatest successes were achieved together with producer and songwriter Jim Steinman. The dramatic power ballad Total Eclipse of the Heart reached number one in the UK and US charts and earned Tyler a Grammy nomination. Also Holding Out for a Heroknown from the film Footloosebecame one of their biggest hits.

Her 1988 album Hide Your Heart remained largely unnoticed, even though it contained two later global hits. Save up all your tears became known worldwide as a cover version by Robin Beck and then by Cher. Tyler’s little-noticed single The Best was covered by Tina Turner a year later and became one of the biggest hits of Turner’s career.

A tour was planned for this year

In her long career, Tyler released more than 80 singles and 18 studio albums. In the 90s she also worked with the German producer Dieter Bohlen for a time. In 2013 she represented Great Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, but only came 19th.

Tyler most recently lived in the Algarve in Portugal and in Wales. She is survived by her husband Robert Sullivan, to whom she was married since 1973. The couple did not have any children.

Bonnie Tyler was on stage until shortly before her death. She had planned another major European tour for 2026 with almost 20 concerts in Germany.