Bonnie Tyler, a musical icon of the 1980s best known for singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died at 75 years old.
Tyler had been rushed on May 7th to the hospital near her home in Portugal and underwent an emergency intestinal surgery before being medically induced into a coma to assist with recovery, according to reports. Her family announced her passing in a statement on Thursday, July 9th.
The Welsh singer known for her powerful, raspy voice was born Gaynor Hopkins and became a superstar of the 1980s after releasing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983.
That year, the song hit the highest spot on charts worldwide, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, selling six million singles and propelling her album Faster than the Speed of Light to sell three million copies.
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The stunning power ballad, written by Jim Steinman with his flare for the theatrical, was accompanied by a histrionic video that featured glowing-eyed and ghostly choir boys, ninja dancers, acrobats and Tyler strolling through a seemingly haunted mansion.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” earned Tyler a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and the album it was on gained her a nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She also got American Music Award nominations. She earned a third Grammy nomination for her 1984 song “Here She Comes.”
With her billowing, feathered, frosted hair, she embodied the 1980s look. But her strong, belting voice coming from an unassuming personality made her a star on the radio and record players.
She solidified herself in popular culture after she released “Holding Out for a Hero” in 1984 as part of the Footloose soundtrack, a song that broke the top 40 on North American and European charts, including a No. 1 and 2 spot on the Ireland and UK single charts.
Tyler had come to prominence in 1977 with the country song “It’s a Heartache” from her debut album The World Starts Tonight. Her early sound was country, but her turn toward rock music in the 1980s sent her soaring.
While her career waned in America, she remained popular in Europe and a mainstay on the continent’s radio. In 2013, she represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Believe in Me.” She was the first representative for the UK to receive a Eurovision Song Contest Radio Award.
In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her music.