ITV News’ Mahatir Pasha looks back on the life of the 80s icon
She was the instantly recognisable, raspy-voiced rock singer whose iconic hits have stayed popular across generations.
Born as Gaynor Hopkins in 1951, Bonnie Tyler – as she would later become known – grew up in a working-class family in a small village near Swansea.
After seven years performing in pubs and clubs around South Wales, her big break came when she was spotted by a talent scout.
Her first major hit, Lost in France, was released in 1976. But it would be her mega hit Total Eclipse of the Heart that propelled her to international stardom, topping music charts for weeks.
Decades later, in anticipation of the total solar eclipse of August 2017 – during which she performed her most iconic song live on a cruise ship – the hit became the number one downloaded in America.
And earlier this year, 43 years after its initial release, the chart-topper cemented its place as one of the most famous power ballads of all time by surpassing a billion streams on Spotify.
Tyler also represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and was made an MBE for her services to music in 2023.
No one could deny the blonde-haired 80s queen’s presence – having spent over 50 years in the music industry.
In May, Tyler was placed into an induced coma following emergency surgery in Portugal.
The following month, her team posted a statement to say that Tyler was no longer in a coma, but remained “very unwell and in intensive care in hospital in Portugal.”
On July 9, Tyler passed away unexpectedly as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.
Even at the age of 75, Tyler had gigs lined up across Europe from later on this month.
She had been scheduled to perform in Germany on July 10.
Although the star won’t be able to make those performances, Tyler’s music isn’t going anywhere.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Reporting History sees journalists join News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby to revisit their remarkable on-the-day reports of the defining events of the modern age. Listen to the episodes below…
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
