Bonnie Tyler, Voice Behind ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, Dies at 75

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, whose powerful hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ became one of the biggest songs of the 1980s, has died at the age of 75.

According to The New York Times, Tyler passed away on Wednesday at a hospital in Portugal after battling an illness, according to a post shared on her official Facebook account.

As per the post, she had undergone emergency intestinal surgery at a hospital in Faro, where she had a home. She was later placed in a coma and remained in intensive care.

Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, Tyler began her music career in the 1970s and rose to fame with her debut album The World Starts Tonight in 1977. The album featured the hit song Lost in France and helped introduce her to audiences around the world.

Early in her career, Tyler underwent surgery to remove vocal cord nodules. The operation changed her voice, giving it the raspy sound that later became her trademark, The New York Times said.

How did Bonnie Tyler achieve worldwide success with her music?

She found worldwide success with songs that blended pop, rock and country music. Her 1977 hit It's a Heartache became an international success and was followed by an even bigger breakthrough in the 1980s.

Tyler reached the peak of her career with 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' written by Jim Steinman. The song topped charts around the world and became one of the defining tracks of the decade. Over the years, it has continued to remain popular, crossing more than a billion streams on both Spotify and YouTube.

She also recorded 'Holding Out for a Hero,' which featured in the 1984 film 'Footloose,' and 'Here She Comes,' which earned her a Grammy nomination after appearing in the restored version of Metropolis.

In later years, Tyler continued to perform and record music. She represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 with 'Believe in Me.' In 2021, she released her 18th studio album, 'The Best Is Yet to Come,' followed by her autobiography, 'Straight From the Heart,' in 2023.

Bonnie Tyler is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.

(With inputs from ANI)