Pop singer Bonnie Tyler dies at 75

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75. The singer, best known for worldwide hits including Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero and It’s a Heartache, passed away in hospital in Faro, Portugal, following complications from an illness that required surgery.

Tyler’s family and management confirmed her death in a statement, saying they were heartbroken and asking for privacy as they mourn her loss.

The singer had been due to headline the SummerLUST Music Festival in Ghaxaq on 22 May but cancelled her appearance after experiencing a medical emergency.

Tyler was hospitalised in April after suffering severe abdominal and back pain. She underwent emergency intestinal surgery but later developed complications, including a serious infection. She was placed in an induced coma and remained in intensive care before her condition deteriorated.

Born Gaynor Hopkins on 8 June 1951 in Skewen, Wales, Tyler began her music career in the 1970s and achieved early success with songs including Lost in France and It’s a Heartache.

Her international breakthrough came in 1983 with Total Eclipse of the Heart. The power ballad became a global hit, topping charts worldwide and selling millions of copies, establishing Tyler as one of Britain’s most recognisable voices.

In 1984, she released Holding Out for a Hero, which became another international success and was featured on the soundtrack of the film Footloose.

Over a career, Tyler released 18 studio albums and continued performing for audiences around the world. She represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and was awarded an MBE in 2022 for her services to music.

Tyler is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.