The British singer Bonnie Tyler has passed away. Reports were confirmed by her manager upon request from the German Press Agency.
Tyler, who gained fame with hits like “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” died at the age of 75 in a hospital in Portugal, as her family announced on Thursday.
Europe Tour Canceled Due to Emergency Surgery
Bonnie Tyler was set to embark on a European tour, with concerts scheduled including one in East Frisia, Wiesmoor. However, the initial shows were canceled after Tyler underwent emergency surgery at a hospital in Faro, located on the Algarve coast of Portugal, in early May. Following the surgery, she remained in an artificial coma for several weeks.
Her last studio album, “The Best Is Yet To Come,” was released over five years ago. Earlier this year, Bonnie Tyler released two singles. “One World One Home” served as the theme song for the documentary film “Homeless.” Before that, she released the ballad “Only Love,” which harkened back to her most successful times in the 1980s.
Overall, the Welsh singer, known for her distinctive smoky voice, released more than 80 singles and 18 studio albums throughout her illustrious career. Tyler, who had been living in the Algarve for many years, enjoyed numerous hits but also experienced some curious failures.
Career Launch by Chance
Tyler was discovered in the mid-1970s by a talent scout who accidentally walked into the wrong floor of a building. “He came to the wrong floor and heard me sing,” Tyler recalled in a 2021 interview with the German Press Agency. Shortly thereafter, she recorded her debut single in London.
Hailing from a musical family in the small Welsh town of Skewen, Tyler started writing song lyrics by copying them from television and singing into her hairbrush. She placed second in a local singing competition, reminiscing later about being very shy: “It’s hard to believe, but I was.”
Her debut single “Lost In France,” released in 1976, brought her fame as a young singer with her distinctive blonde hair. A year later, “It’s A Heartache” became a global hit, propelling Tyler, originally named Gaynor Hopkins, into stardom. She adopted the stage name to avoid confusion with singer Mary Hopkin.
Global Success Through a New Musical Direction
The success of her first two albums was not easily replicated. Tyler switched from RCA to CBS Records, where she worked with successful producer and songwriter Jim Steinman, famous for his collaboration with Meat Loaf (“Bat Out Of Hell”).
Steinman produced her rock-oriented album “Faster Than The Speed Of Night” and wrote the power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” This single became Tyler’s biggest hit, reaching number one in both the UK and the USA, and earned her a Grammy nomination.
Music Video for Her Biggest Hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart”:
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Steinman also wrote the cult hit “Holding Out for a Hero” for her. This powerful song from the 80s dance film “Footloose,” starring Kevin Bacon, has become one of the most famous rock anthems in pop history and remains a true evergreen.
Unluckiness with Songs That Became Hits for Others
The single “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man),” written by Desmond Child, only achieved moderate success. Child later revamped the song into Bon Jovi’s hit “You Give Love A Bad Name.” This was not the only time a song Tyler recorded later found success.
To this day, the 1988 album “Hide Your Heart” is viewed as a mysterious flop. It featured singles like “The Best,” which became a global hit only after being recorded by Tina Turner, and “Save Up All Your Tears,” which enjoyed major success with Cher and Robin Beck. Despite some hits, Tyler never firmly established herself in the American market.
Three Albums with Dieter Bohlen
In the 1990s, Tyler focused more on the European market and collaborated with Dieter Bohlen, who produced three of her albums. In 2013, she represented the UK with her unmistakable raspy voice at the Eurovision Song Contest, and despite a disappointing 19th place finish, she described it as a “wonderful” experience.
Privately, Tyler found her happiness away from the spotlight. She has been married to former British judoka Robert Sullivan since 1973. “We travel everywhere together,” she once shared about the secret to their long marriage. Her husband accompanied her on concert tours.
About 30 concerts were planned for the summer, more than half of which were in Germany. In a DPA interview a few years ago, Bonnie Tyler gushed about how much she enjoyed performing. “I love being on stage.”
dpa/afp
