Swansea, Wales, is preparing for a large public gathering as thousands of fans are set to attend a celebration of life for the singer Bonnie Tyler on Monday. The event follows emotional tributes from fans who lined the streets of Mumbles, a coastal suburb of Swansea, on Saturday as her coffin, draped in a Welsh flag, was driven through the community she called home.
During Saturday's procession, Tyler's hit song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" played, met by applause from fans. The singer died "unexpectedly" on July 8 at the age of 75 in a hospital in Portugal. Despite her global career, Tyler was deeply connected to her roots, described by Mumbles residents as a "Swansea girl through and through" who "never forgot where she came from."
The official service for family and invited guests will be held at St Mary's Church in Swansea and will be live-streamed on Tyler's official website. Screens outside the church will also allow fans to watch the proceedings.
Following the Swansea service, the cortege will travel to Skewen, in Neath Port Talbot, the singer's birthplace and childhood home, for a private family service. The events will prominently feature Tyler's Welsh heritage. Before the service, an organist will play music from Welsh artists, including Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, and Tyler herself. The choir Only Men Aloud is scheduled to perform "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The congregation will sing the hymn "Calon Lan."
Exit music for the service will be Mary Hopkin's 1969 hit "Those Were The Days," a song that held personal significance for Tyler. She performed this song at a local talent contest in Skewen during her youth. Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, later changed her stage name to avoid confusion with Hopkin, as both artists hailed from the same region.
