Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose raspy voice powered “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “It’s a Heartache” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died. She was 75.
PEOPLE reported that Tyler’s family and team announced her death on Thursday, July 9.
The statement said she died unexpectedly.
Tyler Died After Being Treated in Portugal
@cbsmornings Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983, has died “unexpectedly” in a hospital in Portugal, where she was being treated for an illness, her family said. She was 75. #bonnietyler #totaleclipseoftheheart ♬ original sound – CBS Mornings
Tyler had been hospitalized in Faro, Portugal, where she had a home, after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in May.
Her team later said she had been placed in an induced coma during her recovery, though she was reported to be out of the coma in June and still very unwell in intensive care.
The Associated Press reported that Tyler died while being treated for an illness, citing the family’s statement. The statement did not give a fuller medical cause of death, and her family asked for privacy while saying another statement would come later.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” Made Her a Global Star
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, Tyler built her career around a voice that sounded unlike anyone else’s in pop.
After throat surgery in the 1970s, her already powerful voice took on the gravelly tone that became her signature.
Her first major international hit was “It’s a Heartache,” released in 1977. But her biggest moment came in 1983 with “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” the Jim Steinman-written power ballad that topped charts in the United States and the United Kingdom and became one of the defining songs of the decade.
Her Voice Kept Finding New Generations
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” returned to popular conversation during solar eclipses, appeared in films and television, and became a karaoke and wedding-party staple for listeners who were not alive during its original run.
Official Charts notes that Tyler scored a U.K. No. 1 single with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983 and also topped the U.K. albums chart that year with Faster Than the Speed of Night.
Tyler followed her signature hit with another enduring anthem, “Holding Out for a Hero,” from the Footloose soundtrack.
She Remained Active Long After Her Biggest U.S. Hits
Tyler’s American chart peak came in the 1980s, but she continued recording and touring for decades, especially across Europe.
She represented the United Kingdom at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with “Believe in Me” and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for services to music.
PEOPLE reported that Tyler released 18 albums and received three Grammy nominations over her career. Her later years also included new recordings, international performances and a memoir, Straight from the Heart.
Tributes Focused on the Voice and the Woman Behind It
After Tyler’s death, tributes came from artists who knew her personally and from stars who admired the force of her voice.
AP reported that Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Tony Hadley and Sir Cliff Richard were among those who paid tribute. Zeta-Jones remembered Tyler as part of her own family life, while Stewart called her a true soul stirrer and noted their shared vocal style.
Tyler is survived by her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she married in 1973.