Bonnie Tyler, who represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, has died aged 75.
Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75. She was undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal and had been placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery. She woke from the coma but remained unwell.
A statement published on Bonnie Tyler’s official website reads:
“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.”
Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins), better known as Bonnie Tyler, was born on June 8, 1951 in Skewen in southwestern Wales. After finishing second in a local talent competition in 1969, Tyler was inspired to start a music career.
In 1975, Tyler was scouted while singing with her band Imagination in a club in Swansea and was offered the chance to record a demo track in London, which led to her signing a record deal. During this time, she adopted the stage name Bonnie Tyler.
In 1976, Tyler released her debut single “My! My! Honeycomb”, which failed to chart. Her second single “Lost in France” was her first single to reach the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 1977, Tyler released her debut album “The World Starts Tonight”. Shortly after recording the album, Tyler underwent surgery to remove vocal cord nodules and was advised to rest her voice for six weeks. One day, she screamed in frustration, leaving her with a permanent raspy tone. Her first release after her surgery “It’s a Heartache”, ended up becoming one of her best-selling songs in her career.
After releasing three more albums; “Natural Force” (1978), “Diamond Cut” (1979) and “Goodbye to the Island” (1981), none of which received commercial success, Tyler left her first labal RCA and signed with CBS in the United States and started to record rock songs. In 1983, she released “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, the lead single from her fifth album “Faster Than the Speed of Night”. The song became a global hit and sold six million copies around the world, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.
In 1984, Tyler recorded “Holding Out For a Hero” for the soundtrack of Footloose. This became another hit for Tyler as the song reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In 1986, Tyler released her sixth album “Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire”. The most successful single from the album was “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)”, which charted across Europe.
Tyler continued touring and recording over the subsequent years and found success mainly in mainland Europe. In 2003, she released a duet English-French version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” called “Si demain… (Turn Around)” with French singer Kareen Antonn. It went to number 1 in Belgium and France, where it topped the charts for ten weeks.
In 2012, Tyler sent her upcoming album “Rocks and Honey” to the BBC for feedback ahead of its release. After listening to the third track on the album “Believe in Me”, Tyler was asked to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song, which she accepted. She went on to finish 19th in the final with 23 points.
After Eurovision, Tyler continued touring and releasing new music. Her 18th and final studio album “The Best is Yet to Come” was released in 2021. In 2023, she released her memoir “Straight From the Heart”. Her final single “Only Love” was released in March and was performed during her final concert in London. Tyler was due to go on tour again this summer.
The Eurovoix team would like to express our condolences to Bonnie Tyler’s family and friends at this difficult time.
Source: BBC
The United Kingdom debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in the contest. To date, the UK has won the contest a total of five times, with their first victory coming in 1967 and their latest in 1997. The UK holds the record for the most second-place finishes in the contest, having been runner-up a total of 16 times. Since 2000 the UK has finished within the top 10 only three times, this being in 2002 with Jessica Garlick, 2009 with Jade Ewen and 2022 with Sam Ryder who finished 2nd in Turin.
