Fans gathered outside a Welsh church on Monday to remember singer Bonnie Tyler, who was honored as a star loved worldwide. The invite-only funeral for the husky-voiced singer was held at Swansea Minster.
Her rose-covered coffin was carried into the church to the sound of her song "If I Sing You A Love Song," and was placed before the altar to the tune of "It’s a Heartache." Tributes described Tyler as a star who never forgot her roots.
"Bonnie was always a star but never a diva," said her manager, Matthew Davis. "She never forgot her roots or where she came from. She would have been amazed and very gratified at the massive outpouring of love from all over the world that has occurred since her sudden and unexpected passing."
Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins in Wales, died last month in Portugal at age 75. She had been hospitalized in May for emergency intestinal surgery. Her death came less than a week after her signature song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," was featured during celebrations for a total solar eclipse that darkened skies across parts of Europe.
Earlier on Saturday, crowds lined the streets in her seaside Welsh village of Mumbles as a hearse carried her coffin, draped in a Welsh flag, home. Attendees outside the church described her as a down-to-earth individual.
"She’s Welsh through and through," said Kathleen Davies, who joined the crowd. "Everything about her, she’s natural, there’s no fake stuff. When you see her on the interviews, she’s just who she is."
Born to a coal miner in Skewen, Wales, Tyler first performed in a contest at a rugby club in the late 1960s, singing "Those Were The Days." She won one pound for her performance but was inspired to pursue music.
Tyler, who received three Grammy nominations, represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her services to music. Her 1983 power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" topped charts in Britain and the United States and has garnered over 1 billion streams, partly due to its association with real solar eclipses. She was also known for the song "Holding Out For a Hero."