Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer of 1980s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died aged 75.
A statement posted to her website today read: “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.
“We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”
The website is currently down with so many people attempting to access it at once – a sign of the love and support she regularly received from fans.
Tyler was last month placed in a medically induced coma at a Portuguese hospital sometime around April 30 for emergency surgery for a perforated intestine. Despite a statement saying the surgery had gone well, her condition worsened and medics were forced to put her on a ventilator.
A spokesperson later said she was out of the coma, but remained very unwell in hospital, with doctors predicting a slow recovery. Her health issues meant tour dates for this summer were cancelled.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in 1951 in Wales, Tyler hit the U.S. charts in 1977 with her single “It’s a Heartache,” then reached the pinnacle of her career in 1983 with the Jim Steinman-penned smash “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” She had sought out Steinman after seeing Meat Loaf perform “Bat Out Of Hell,” which the lyricist had written.
She and Steinman collaborated again the following year for the single “Holding Out for a Hero,” which became a hit after its including on the soundtrack for the 1984 film Footloose.
Tyler has continued recording and releasing new music over the decades since her MTV Era heyday, most recently 2021’s The Best Is Yet To Come. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to music.
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