Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop-rock singer behind ’80s hits like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” died on Wednesday. She was 75.
“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,” reads a statement shared on Tyler’s official website and Facebook page on Thursday. “We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”
In May, Tyler was hospitalized in Faro, Portugal — where she had a residence — for emergency intestinal surgery and was eventually put in a medically-induced coma. She was set to embark on a tour this summer before being hospitalized. Tyler woke up from her month-long coma in June, but remained “very unwell and in intensive care,” according to her Facebook page.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, Wales, on June 8, 1951, Tyler was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell in Swansea and broke onto the music scene with her 1977 hit “Lost in France” and debut album “The World Starts Tonight.” After an operation to remove vocal cord nodules, her voice retained a distinctively raspy quality.
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