Total Eclipse of the Heart singer Bonnie Tyler dies in Portugal

Bonnie Tyler (Instagram @bonnietylerofficial)

JAKARTA - Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75 at a hospital in Portugal. The sad news was announced through a statement on her official website after Tyler underwent treatment for the disease she suffered from.

Gulf News, quoted Thursday, July 9, reported that Bonnie Tyler's family and team said they were shocked when they announced the death of the singer with a strong and distinctive voice.

"Bonnie died unexpectedly last night in a hospital in Portugal due to the disease he was undergoing treatment for," the statement said.

The family said further information would be provided later. They also asked for privacy during the mourning.

Bonnie Tyler is known as one of the most prominent voices in pop-rock music in the 1980s. His name is attached to two great songs, Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out For A Hero.

Before dying, Tyler faced serious health complications. He had abdominal and back pain in April, then was taken to a hospital in Portugal. The country is not a foreign place for Tyler because he has a house there since 1988.

Tyler then underwent emergency surgery on his intestine. His condition reportedly worsened after the procedure, including due to a serious infection.

On May 6, 2026, Tyler was announced to be in a medically induced coma in Faro due to complications from surgery. An induced coma is a condition when a patient is made unconscious with drugs at the medical decision to help treat a serious illness.

The initial effort to wake him up from a coma had triggered a heart attack. However, his representative then delivered positive news on June 15. At that time, Tyler was said to have regained consciousness.

Even so, his recovery remains difficult. A spokesman told The Sun that Tyler is still "seriously ill", although he is beginning to show signs of improvement.

Bonnie Tyler was born with the name Gaynor Hopkins. She became known after being discovered by talent scout Roger Bell while performing at a club in Swansea. In 1977, she released her debut single Lost in France.

In the same year, Tyler achieved great success with the country-pop ballad It's a Heartache. The song became an international hit, reaching number four on the UK singles chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

However, Total Eclipse of the Heart really made Tyler a world star. The song released in 1983 reached the first position in the UK and the United States.

The song was written by Jim Steinman, the songwriter behind a number of Meat Loaf's big hits. Before becoming a widely known pop-rock song, Total Eclipse of the Heart was originally conceived with the title Vampires in Love for a musical plan inspired by Nosferatu.

Tyler once said he never got tired of singing the song, even though he had performed it many times on various stages.

"I never get tired of singing it," Tyler told BBC News. "I love it because everyone is so eager to sing along."