Kevin Bacon has remembered Bonnie Tyler, the iconic singer whose song "Holding Out for a Hero" was featured in the 1984 film "Footloose," in which Bacon starred. Tyler died at the age of 75 on Thursday, the same day Bacon celebrated his 68th birthday.
"I could not imagine chicken racing a tractor to any other song. RIP," Bacon said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. He called Tyler "one of the great voices of rock."
Tyler passed away due to illness at a hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she owned a home, according to The New York Times. Her family and team announced her death in a statement on her website, describing themselves as "heartbroken."
The statement said: "Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for."
According to a post on the Welsh singer-songwriter's official Facebook page, she had recently undergone emergency intestinal surgery in May and was placed in an induced coma. She awoke from the coma in June but remained in intensive care.
Tyler's song "Holding Out for a Hero" was written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford specifically for the "Footloose" soundtrack. Following its inclusion in the film, she later featured the song on her 1986 sixth studio album, "Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire." The track became famously paired with the "chicken race" scene in "Footloose," where Bacon's character, Ren McCormack, jumps from a moving vehicle into a ditch.
The song has since been featured in commercials, television shows, and films. Jennifer Saunders recorded a version for "Shrek 2," Ella Mae Bowen recorded a cover for the 2011 "Footloose" remake, and the song was played in a 2022 episode of the HBO series "Euphoria."
Tyler, known for her distinctive raspy voice, had a prolific career in rock music, with other hits including "Total Eclipse of the Heart" from 1983.
