Welsh singer-songwriter Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75. The Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero star passed away on Wednesday 8 July 2026 in a hospital in Portugal, where she had been receiving treatment following emergency intestinal surgery earlier this year.
A statement shared on her official website confirmed the news.
“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 had been taken ill in May and underwent emergency surgery in Faro, Portugal, where she owned a home. She was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma and remained in intensive care after regaining consciousness last month.
From Welsh singer to global superstar
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, near Neath, Wales, Tyler rose to prominence in the late 1970s with hits including Lost in France, More Than a Lover and It’s a Heartache. Her distinctive husky voice became one of the most recognisable sounds in pop and rock music.
Her career reached new heights in 1983 with Total Eclipse of the Heart, written and produced by Jim Steinman. The power ballad topped the charts in both the UK and the US and recently surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. She followed it with another enduring hit, Holding Out for a Hero, which featured on the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose.
Eurovision and honours
Tyler represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song Believe in Me, finishing 19th. Over the course of her career, she received three Grammy nominations and three Brit Award nominations.
In recognition of her contribution to music, she was appointed an MBE for services to music.
A lasting legacy
Tyler married former Olympic judoka and property developer Robert Sullivan in 1973. The couple had no children and divided their time between Wales and Portugal.
Across a career spanning more than five decades, Bonnie Tyler became one of Wales’ most successful international music stars. Her anthemic songs, unmistakable voice and enduring popularity ensured her place as one of the defining singers of her generation.
