Today we say goodbye to Bonnie Tyler, one of the most unmistakable voices to ever come through a speaker.
Bonnie passed away at age 75 in Portugal after a period of illness. Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, South Wales, she would become known around the world for that raspy, powerful voice that sounded like heartbreak, fire, and survival all at once. It was not polished in the usual pop-star way. It was better than that. It had character. You knew it was Bonnie the second she opened her mouth.
For many of us, Bonnie Tyler is tied to a very specific kind of pop memory. Big songs. Big drums. Big emotion. The sort of records that made the 1980s feel larger than life.
Before the thunder of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” Bonnie had already made her mark with “Lost In France” and “It’s A Heartache.” Those songs proved she could take pain and turn it into something beautiful. Then came her work with Jim Steinman, and everything went widescreen.
“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” is still one of those records that stops you in your tracks. It is dramatic, strange, romantic, and completely unforgettable. Who else could have taken a song that massive and made it feel so personal? Bonnie sang it like she was standing in the middle of a storm, refusing to be carried away.
And then there is “Holding Out For A Hero.” For lovers of 1980s movie music, that one is pure lightning. It has all the drama of a great soundtrack moment, but Bonnie’s voice is what makes it last. The song still feels alive every time it plays. It still makes the room bigger.
That was her gift. Bonnie Tyler could sing a huge production and still make it feel human. She could make heartbreak sound heroic. She could make longing sound like a battle cry. She could take a song right over the top, then somehow make you believe every word.
For those of us who love physical media, 12-inch singles, soundtrack cuts, and the big pop moments of the 1980s, Bonnie’s records are part of the collection in more ways than one. They are part of the memory. The radio. The video channels. The record bins. The late-night sing-alongs. The songs that came on and made everyone turn their head.
Bonnie Tyler gave us a voice that could not be copied.
She gave us songs that still fill a room.
She gave us drama, heart, and fire.
Rest in peace, Bonnie Tyler.
Turn around, bright eyes.
-DjPaulT
I’ve always had a soft spot for “Islands”, the song she recorded in 1987 with Mike Oldfield. I’m not going to say it’s a career high for either of them, but I think it does her voice proud.
[condensed from Wikipedia and other sources:] Gaynor Sullivan, known professionally as Bonnie Tyler MBE, changed her name in 1969 to Sherene Davis to avoid confusion with Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin (“Those Were The Days”, “Goodbye”, “Knock Knock Who’s There”). In 1975 she received a phone call from RCA Records offering her a recording contract. They recommended that she change her name again. After compiling a list of surnames and first names from a newspaper, Davis chose the name “Bonnie Tyler”. In spring 1977, Tyler underwent surgery to remove vocal-cord nodules and was advised by her doctor to rest her voice… Read more »
Such sad news 🙁
She had such a wonderful voice and made so many great songs.
I will always be holding out for a hero thanks to her!
It’s interesting that her signature sound was due to a vocal chord injury, her first record really does not have that sound… But the imperfection created a unique, gut wrenching sound, like the female Rod Stewart, so much so, that even Rod covered “It’s a Heartache.”
It just goes to show, that it is the imperfections that really make us who we are, embrace it and learn to love it and maybe someone else will too. R.I.P Miss Tyler.
I have her singles “Lost in France”, “It’s a Heartache” and of course “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. I have “Holding Out for a Hero” on a cd. I loved her voice. Such a shame she has left us so suddenly. Rock ’em up in Heaven, Bonnie!
R.I.P.
It would be great to have this vinyl record to pay tribute to Bonnie Tyler; it was released in 2022.
The figures from the 70s, 80s, and part of the 90s are truly bidding farewell to this life; they leave us with great music and fond memories. It is a sad reality, but it also prompts us to reflect—to make the most of the moment, pick up the pace, and cherish every hit and every remix we enjoyed 40, 50 years ago.
I’m actually old enough to remember Bonnie Tyler’s earliest hit single, 1976’s “It’s A Heartache”. I don’t know how many people remember that song, or her cover of Tom Petty’s “Louisiana Rain”.
Such a loss for the Music world….
[See my post about “Heartache” and more tidbits I found in my research]
Oooooh dear me, that’s another heartache for me. Just a year ago (ish) I saw her in an extended interview with a German tv station and she was so nice and down to Earth, really lovely. What a loss. Old people like me call a husky voice like hers a “reibeisen”, i.e. a grater voice (or rasp). I love that old-fashioned German term 🙂
It’s just another sad day but I just cannot get used to losing one beloved persona after another.
Thank you for your tribute, Paul.
“TURN AROND, BRIGHT EYES” Thnks Bonnie, I will always miss you. QEPD
Also Loving you a Dirty job
Duet “Si demain… (Turn Around)” with Kareen Antonn is also v v good
I am so heartbroken 💔 Bonnie Tyler was a force! Teaming up with Jim Steinman was a match made in Heaven! I love how you called their productions “widescreen”,Paul, because that’s what they were. Epic and dramatic and beautifully bombastic! This was music that felt like opera and music from Mount Olympus! Some of her music added to my own life’s soundtrack!
Jeff ❤️
Widescreen. Such an excellent description to be sure! They should do a Jim Steinman Productions Boxed Set with that as the title!!!
Totally agree!
Jeff
It’s sad, but it is what it is. Every so often, I still pull out their records to listen to, recalling their wonderful charisma on stage.
Excelente biografía amigo Paul…. Será una inolvidable cantante que permanecerá en nuestra memoria… Ahora esperemos que subas lo mejor que tengas de su material… Un abrazo desde Chile
Without a doubt, one of the most iconic voices of the 80s. So many memories in nightclubs, where we danced to her greatest hits and, of course, her stage presence. Thank you so much for everything, Bonnie.