'Total Eclipse of the Heart' singer Bonnie Tyler dead at 75

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, the raspy-voiced performer best known for the global hits “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died at the age of 75, according to a statement posted Thursday on her official website and social media accounts. Tyler, whose powerful vocals and dramatic rock ballads made her one of the most recognizable voices of the 1980s, enjoyed a decades-long career that earned her international fame and a lasting place in pop music history.

Her social media accounts announced that her death was unexpected. “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 treated for,” the statement said.

“We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask privacy to deal with this tragedy,” it added.

Her death comes not long after her Facebook page announced that she had undergone emergency intestinal surgery and was placed into an induced coma. A June 15 update stated that Tyler was no longer in a coma but remained very ill and was still receiving intensive care in Portugal.

Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said he was “deeply saddened” to hear about Tyler’s death. “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bonnie Tyler,” he wrote. on X. “Wales has lost a true icon, whose music brought joy to so many. I extend my heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans across the world.”

Tyler leaves behind her husband, Robert Sullivan, whom she had been married to for more than 50 years. The two met in 1970 at a nightclub where Sullivan was a manager and Tyler was performing while building her career in Welsh nightclubs. They married in 1973 when Tyler was 22. Although the couple never had children, Tyler told The Guardian in 2012 that she was satisfied with the family she had built.

“I have five godchildren, 16 nieces and nephews, and 12 great nieces and nephews,” she told the publication. “So there is no shortage of children in my life.”