Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer who wrote the 1980s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died aged 75.Bonnie Tyler’s final days before her deathThe New York Times reported that Taylor died Wednesday at a hospital in Portugal, according to a statement posted on Taylor’s official Facebook page. The post states that she underwent emergency bowel surgery at a hospital where she owns a house in Faro, after which she fell into a coma and remains in intensive care.Bonnie Tyler’s early life and fameTyler, born Gaynor Hopkins in Wales, began her music career in the 1970s and rose to fame with her 1977 debut album The World Starts Tonight, which included the hit song “Lost in France” and brought her music to audiences around the world.Bonnie Tyler’s Surgery and International SuccessTaylor reportedly underwent surgery early in her career to remove nodules on her vocal cords, an operation that reshaped her voice into the husky voice she would become famous for. Her music, a fusion of pop, rock and country, brought her global success, starting with the international hit “It’s a Heartache” in 1977, and achieving further breakthroughs throughout the following decade.Bonnie Tyler’s career-defining hitTaylor reached the peak of her career with the Jim Steinman-penned “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which topped charts around the world and became one of the iconic tracks of the era, amassing over 1 billion plays on Spotify and YouTube over the years. She also lent her voice to the song “Holding Out for a Hero” from the 1984 film Footloose and Here She Comes, which earned her a Grammy nomination after appearing in the restored version of Metropolis.Bonnie Tyler’s Later Years and Final ProjectsIn her later years, Taylor remained active as a performer and recording artist, representing the UK at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with “Trust Me”. She released her 18th studio album “The Best Is Yet to Come” in 2021, followed by her autobiography “Straight From the Heart” in 2023.Bonnie Tyler’s surviving familyTaylor is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.
