Hundreds of fans lined the streets of Mumbles, a seaside Welsh village, on Saturday to bid farewell to the late singer Bonnie Tyler. Her coffin was brought home to the village near Swansea.
Tyler, beloved worldwide for her 1983 power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” died last month in a hospital in Portugal at the age of 75. She had been hospitalized in May in Faro for emergency intestinal surgery.
Locals and fans traveled from across the United Kingdom and beyond to see the hearse carrying Tyler's coffin, which was draped in a Welsh flag. Dozens also gathered outside her former home, leaving floral tributes. Carys Edwards, 18, told reporters, "She was always coming home and making sure that she came back to her fans in Wales. Her songs really did touch a lot of people here in Wales; we loved her a lot."
Born Gaynor Hopkins, Tyler was the daughter of a coal miner from Skewen, Wales. She had three sisters and two brothers. The singer received three Grammy nominations and represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013, where she finished 19th. In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II honored her with a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to music, largely due to the success of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
The ballad reached the top of the charts in Britain and the United States and has accumulated over 1 billion streams. Its popularity saw a resurgence during recent solar eclipses in 2017 and 2024.
Tyler was also known for hits such as “It's a Heartache” and “Holding Out For a Hero,” which was featured on the soundtrack for the film “Footloose.”
A memorial service for family and friends is scheduled for Monday at a church in Swansea. Following the service, Tyler will be taken for a final journey through her hometown of Skewen.