Bonnie Tyler, Welsh Singing Superstar Behind “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” Dies at 75

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Bonnie Tyler, Welsh Singing Superstar Behind “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” Dies at 75

The Hollywood Reporter · 3 hours ago

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose distinctive raspy voice powered 1980s hits including "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero", has died at the age of 75. According to a message posted on her official website, she passed away unexpectedly in a hospital in Portugal as a result of an illness for which she was being treated; in May she had been placed in an induced coma following emergency intestinal surgery. Her death marks the loss of one of the era's most recognisable voices, whose biggest songs remain cultural touchstones.

Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, in 1951, Tyler broke through in the late 1970s with "Lost in France" and the gold-selling "It's a Heartache". Her 1983 album Faster Than the Speed of Night went platinum and featured the Jim Steinman-penned "Total Eclipse of the Heart", which topped the UK chart and earned a Grammy nomination. She and Steinman reunited for "Holding Out for a Hero" from the Footloose soundtrack in 1984. Tyler released 18 studio albums, represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013, and issued her final record in 2021. She is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.

Art Culture

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