Iconic musician Bonnie Tyler dies aged 75
Legendary Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has passed away at the age of 75.
A statement posted on Facebook today (9 July) 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."
Tyler - who was best known for her hits 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' and 'Holding Out For A Hero' - began to experience abdominal back pain in April and was rushed to hospital in Portugal, where she had owned a home since 1988, to undergo emergency intestinal surgery.
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It was announced on May 6, 2026, that Tyler has been placed in an induced coma in the Portuguese city of Faro due to complications from the abdominal operation.
Though initial attempts to bring her out of the coma ended with her going into cardiac arrest, it was announced on June 15 that Tyler had woken up.
A message posted on her official website said: "Bonnie is no longer in a coma but remains very unwell and in intensive care in hospital in Portugal."
Tributes have already begun to flood in for Tyler across social media, with one fan on X writing: "Legends may leave us, but their songs live on forever. Rest in peace."
"A powerhouse voice that will never be forgotten. RIP Bonnie Tyler," another posted.
A third added: "Her voice had such a unique power that it really defined an era of music for me," while those thoughts were echoed by a poster who said: "A true music legend. Her voice and legacy will never be forgotten."
Wales Secretary Jo Stevens posted a tribute on X writing: "So sad to hear of the death of @BonnieTOfficial. A Welsh music icon, Grammy and Brit award winner and the sound of my teenage years."
Tyler, whose real name is Gaynor Hopkins, achieved international fame in the 1980s, with the release of hit single 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' which shot to the top of the charts in the UK and across the pond.
The song was written by Jim Steinman – who was also Meat Loaf’s producer – and he said in an interview with American publication People:
“I never thought it had a prayer as a single. It was an aria to me, a Wagnerian-like onslaught of sound and emotion. I wrote it to be a showpiece for her voice.”
She is reported to have said of the song, after Steinman played her the song for the first time: “I just had shivers up my spine. I couldn’t wait to actually get in and record it.”
He went on to write and produce another of her hit songs, Holding Out For A Hero, which was featured in the movie Footloose starring Kevin Bacon in the lead role.
She represented the UK in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with the song Believe In Me, and she finished in 19th place.
She was made an MBE in 2023 for her services to music, after being named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Topics: UK News, Music, Entertainment, Celebrity
Daniel Murphy