Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer known for hits like "Total Eclipse of the Heart," was laid to rest at Swansea Minster on Monday. Her passing in July at the age of 75 followed months of treatment after emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal.
Family and friends gathered for the service, which featured music from her own catalog, including "If I Sing You A Love Song" and "It's A Heartache." Her longtime manager, Matthew Davis, and Roger Bell, the talent scout who discovered her, were scheduled to deliver tributes. The order of service remembered Tyler, whose birth name was Gaynor Hopkins, as "a warm, generous artist whose music touched generations."
A floral tribute outside the church prominently displayed the title of her most famous song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," featuring a black and white image of the singer. Another note from her nephews, James and Josh, read: "Dear Aunty Gaynor, I wish we weren't writing this card and it breaks our hearts we will get to embrace you again. We loved you yesterday, we love you today and we will love you forever."
Tyler passed away in a hospital in Faro, Portugal, on July 8. Her body was subsequently returned to the UK for her final resting place. Prior to the funeral, a memorial procession traveled through Mumbles, Swansea, to her home, Fernhill, on Saturday, where fans gathered to pay their respects, singing tributes.
The family requested donations to the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru in lieu of flowers. Tyler's career spanned nearly 50 years, beginning with her first single "Lost In France" in 1976. Her international breakthrough came in 1983 with "Total Eclipse of the Heart," which made her the first Welsh artist to reach number one in America. She had been planning a European tour for later this year.
Tyler was first admitted to hospital in May due to complications from a burst appendix and perforated intestine, requiring urgent surgery. Her last public performance was in March at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.