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Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer. Known for her distinctive husky voice, Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album The World Starts Tonight and its singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover". Her 1977 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman. He wrote Tyler's biggest hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", the lead single from her 1983 UK chart-topping album Faster Than the Speed of Night. Steinman also wrote Tyler's other major 1980s hit "Holding Out for a Hero". She had success in mainland Europe during the 1990s with Dieter Bohlen, who wrote and produced her hit "Bitterblue". In 2003, Tyler re-recorded "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with singer Kareen Antonn. Their bilingual duet, titled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", topped the French charts.
Rocks and Honey was released in 2013 and features the single "Believe in Me", which she performed representing the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden. After reuniting with the producer David Mackay, she released Between the Earth and the Stars (2019) and The Best Is Yet to Come (2021).
Her work has earned her three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Awards nominations (including twice for British Female Solo Artist), among other accolades. In 2022, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music.
In April 1969, Hopkins was entered into a local talent competition by her aunt, and she came second to an accordionist. Inspired to pursue a career in singing, Hopkins found work as a backing singer for Bobby Wayne & the Dixies before forming her own band, Imagination. It was around this time that she changed her name to Sherene Davis, to avoid being confused with Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin.
Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe became her managers, songwriters and producers. "My! My! Honeycomb" was released as her debut single in April 1976, and failed to impact any charts worldwide. In September 1976, as part of a promotional campaign for Tyler's subsequent single release, "Lost in France", RCA Records allocated £4,000 for a strategic promotional initiative, which involved sending a group of 30 music journalists and radio DJs to Le Touquet, France, where they met Tyler over a four-course meal. "Lost in France" peaked at no. 9 in the UK and led to Tyler's first appearance on Top of the Pops. "More Than a Lover" followed in January 1977. Due to perceived sexual nature of the song's lyrics, it was banned from a new British children's TV series, Get It Together. Though surprised by the decision, Tyler stated she was grateful for the "extra publicity". It peaked at no. 27 in the UK.
Tyler's debut album, The World Starts Tonight, was released in February 1977. To promote the album, Tyler embarked on her first UK tour as a guest artist with Gene Pitney. The album failed to chart in the UK, but reached no. 2 in Sweden. In the spring of 1977, Tyler underwent an operation to remove vocal cord nodules and was advised by her doctor to vocal rest for six weeks. Tyler screamed in frustration one day, resulting in a permanent raspy tone.
In July 1977, Tyler released her fourth single, "Heaven". It peaked at no. 24 in Germany. Tyler ascribed the underwhelming performance of the single in other regions to the passing of Elvis Presley in August 1977. This event resulted in RCA redirecting its focus towards reissuing Presley's extensive back catalogue. "It's a Heartache" followed in November 1977 and became one of Tyler's most-successful singles, peaking at no. 4 in the UK and no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Here Am I" was released in April 1978, and it peaked at no. 4 in Norway. David Mackay parted ways with Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe in 1978, and Gordon Mills briefly took over as Tyler's manager. Mills organised Tyler's first tour of the United States in July 1978, including several nights at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, supporting Tom Jones.
Tyler's second studio album, Natural Force, was released in May 1978. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales of over half a million copies.
In the summer of 1979, Tyler had another UK Top 40 hit with "(The World Is Full of) Married Men". She recorded it for a film adaptation of Jackie Collins' novel of the same name. Tyler performs the song during the film's closing titles.
In November 1979, Tyler represented the United Kingdom at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Japan. She won the Grand Prix International award for her performance of "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean", written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe. They co-produced Tyler's fourth album, Goodbye to the Island, with Hugh Murphy. Released in 1981, it only charted in Norway. RCA invited Tyler to extend her contract for another five years, but she declined, expressing disillusionment with her artistic image and noting a scarcity of performance opportunities in the aftermath of several unsuccessful singles.
After their initial meeting, Tyler returned to Steinman's apartment in New York a few weeks later where she performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with Rory Dodd. Steinman described the song as "a Wagnerian-like onslaught of sound and emotion", and a "showpiece" for Tyler's voice. Her fifth album was recorded at the Power Station in New York, with members of the E Street Band, Rick Derringer on guitar, Rory Dodd and Eric Troyer on backing vocals, and Steinman as producer.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was released in the UK on 11 February 1983. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time with over six million units sold. Her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, debuted at no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and reached no. 3 on the US Cashbox chart and no. 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling over one million copies in the United States. Tyler's commercial success led to several award nominations, including two Grammy Award, two AMAs and a BRIT Awards. Tyler was named Best Recording Artist at the Variety Club of Great Britain Awards, and she received a Goldene Europa.
Tyler also found success through some of her soundtrack recordings in the mid-80s. In 1984, she released "Holding Out for a Hero" from the Footloose soundtrack. In the following year, her recording of "Here She Comes" for Giorgio Moroder's restoration of the 1927 film Metropolis earned Tyler a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Tyler also declined an offer to record the theme for the James Bond spin-off Never Say Never Again.
In 1986, Tyler released her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire. In another collaboration with Jim Steinman, the album also featured songs written by Desmond Child and Bryan Adams and a cover of "Band of Gold" by Freda Payne. "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" became the album's most successful single, selling over 250,000 units in France. The music video, directed by Steinman and Stuart Orme, received six nominations at the Billboard Video Music Conference.
In 1987, Tyler collaborated with Mike Oldfield on the title track to his album Islands. In the following year, Tyler played Polly Garter in George Martin's album Under Milk Wood, a radio drama by Dylan Thomas. The music was composed by Elton John, and features vocal contributions from Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Mary Hopkin.
Tyler asked Desmond Child to produce her seventh album, Hide Your Heart, which came out on 9 May 1988. The album featured collaborations with Michael Bolton, Albert Hammond and Diane Warren. The album's singles, "Hide Your Heart", "Save Up All Your Tears" and "The Best" became major hits for other artists.
Bitterblue was released on 11 November 1991. In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Tomas Mureika noted that the album marked a "much more mainstream and less bombastic" direction in Tyler's career. The title track was released a month ahead of the album and became a top 40 hit in several European countries. It was named 'Catchy Song of the Year' at the RSH-Gold Awards. In the following year, "Bitterblue" was released as a promotional single in the United States where it was met with criticism. Billboard wrote that "bombastic production, with a rush of bagpipes and a choir of chirping children at the forefront, overpower Tyler's distinctive raspy voice."
While Bitterblue was never released in the UK or US, the album was a commercial success in mainland Europe. It topped the charts in Austria and Norway, achieving 4× Platinum status in the latter country with eleven weeks at no. 1.
Tyler's subsequent albums, Angel Heart (1992) and Silhouette in Red (1993), were also successful in mainland Europe. Both albums featured a greater share of songs written and produced by Dieter Bohlen. Tyler was named Best International Singer at the Goldene Europa in 1993, and Best Pop/Rock Singer at the ECHO Awards in 1994.
In 1995, Tyler moved to EastWest Records and released Free Spirit. The album featured collaborations with a variety of producers including Humberto Gatica, David Foster and Jim Steinman. The lead single, a cover of Air Supply's "Making Love (Out of Nothing At All)", reached no. 45 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1996. The album was re-released in March 1996 featuring a cover of "Limelight" by the Alan Parsons Project. The track was used as a theme for the German team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tyler's twelfth studio album, All in One Voice, was released in 1998. Much of the album was recorded with Jimmy Smyth in Dublin, and Harold Faltermeyer in Hamburg.
In 1998, Tyler appeared on Rick Wakeman's orchestral album Return to the Centre of the Earth on the song "Is Anybody There?". The album also included narration from Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart and vocals from Ozzy Osbourne, Katrina Leskanich and Justin Hayward.
In 2002, Tyler began working on her thirteenth studio album, Heart Strings. EMI approached her with the idea of recording a cover version with an orchestra and Tyler's band. She selected thirteen songs by artists such as U2, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. The songs were arranged by composers Nick Ingman and Karl Jenkins, and performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Heart Strings was released on 18 March 2003, and was followed by a tour in Germany. The album charted in three European countries.
Tyler's fourteenth studio album Simply Believe was released in April 2004. It featured seven new songs and various re-recordings and covers. Tyler and Antonn recorded "Si tout s'arrête (It's a Heartache)" as a second bilingual duet. It peaked at number 12 in France. Tyler co-wrote the title track of the album, and two additional songs, with producer Jean Lahcene. Simply Believe spent 23 weeks on the French Album Charts and peaked at number 18.
Tyler released her fifteenth studio album Wings in the spring of 2005. It was recorded in Paris, and featured twelve new songs, two of which were also recorded in French, and new versions of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "It's a Heartache". Tyler promoted the album with an extensive tour of Europe, including a televised performance at the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland, and recorded concerts at La Cigale in Paris and at the Fiestas del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain. Footage from all three concerts appeared on Tyler's live DVD Bonnie on Tour which was released in 2006. Wings was issued in the UK in 2006 under the title Celebrate. Tyler also received the Lifetime Achievement Steiger Award in 2005.
In April 2009, Tyler joined Welsh male voice choir Only Men Aloud! on their UK tour to perform "Total Eclipse of the Heart". They recorded the song for their second studio album Band of Brothers, which was released in October. In the same year, she also recorded the title song for Mal Pope's new musical Cappuccino Girls, and performed the song at the opening night in Swansea's Grand Theatre. Tyler also made a cameo on Hollyoaks Later to sing "Holding Out for a Hero" in a dream sequence with Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna).
In 2010, Tyler appeared in a television advertisement for MasterCard singing a parody of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". She released "Something Going On" with Country singer Wayne Warner and a new version of "Making Love (Out of Nothing At All)" with Matt Pétrin in July and August respectively. In October, she toured with Robin Gibb in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2011, Tyler appeared on Swedish TV show Kvällen är din ("The Evening Is Yours" in English), singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with Swedish singer Niklas Paulström. Tyler also performed "It's a Heartache". Bonnie Tyler & Niklas Paulström – Total eclipse of the heart TV4 Play. Retrieved 22 March 2013 She also made a guest appearance in the music video "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)", a parody of the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind" for the BBC's Comic Relief charity. Also in 2011, Tyler won an award at the BMI London Awards for "It's a Heartache" gaining over three million airplays on US television and radio since it was first recorded in 1977. She also appeared on the Ukrainian version of X Factor as one of the three British guests, alongside Kylie Minogue and Cher Lloyd. She performed "It's a Heartache", "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero". In December 2011, a portrait of Tyler by Rolf Harris, owned by Cathy Sims, was valued at £50,000 on BBC's Antiques Roadshow. Bonnie Tyler by Rolf Harris – a £50,000 painting is found, The Telegraph newspaper, 3 December 2011
In September 2011, Tyler released a new compilation titled Best of 3 CD, which charted at number 36 in France. The album featured a cover of "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles, which was recorded as a duet with Laura Zen in French and English and released as a single.
Tyler was announced as the United Kingdom's entrant on 7 March 2013, and was met with a mixed reaction. "Believe in Me" was released on 13 March, and peaked at number 93 in the United Kingdom. As a member of the "Big Five", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to the Eurovision Grand Final on 18 May. Tyler finished in 19th place with 23 points. Reacting to the results, Tyler stated, "I did the best that I could do with a great song", adding, "I'm so glad and so happy that I did it because it was an incredible experience. It was like the Grammy awards all over again."
Following the Eurovision Song Contest, Tyler became the first representative for the United Kingdom to receive a Eurovision Song Contest Radio Award. She received the accolades for Best Song and Best Female Singer.
Rocks and Honey was released on 6 May 2013 in the United Kingdom, and peaked at number 52 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was titled in reference to the contrast between Tyler and Vince Gill's voice on their duet "What You Need from Me", which was likened to "rocks and honey". "This Is Gonna Hurt" and "Love Is the Knife" were released as the second and third singles in August and September 2013 respectively, though both songs failed to chart.
In 2014, Tyler released "Miserere" on Rhydian Roberts's album One Day like This, and "Fortune" on Spike's album 100% Pure Frankie Miller.
In June 2015, Tyler appeared on Die schönsten Disney Songs aller Zeiten, a one-off televised celebration of popular Disney songs in Germany. She performed "Circle of Life" from The Lion King. In September 2015, Tyler performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero" on Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Nicole Scherzinger and Alec Baldwin.
In 2016, Tyler featured on Frankie Miller's album Double Take. In March 2017, Tyler released a new single titled "Love's Holding On" with German metal band Axel Rudi Pell.
In August 2017, Tyler performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" aboard the MS Oasis of the Seas with American dance-rock band DNCE to mark the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The song received an increase of 31,000 online downloads, which led to a placement of number 13 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart. In November, she released a new compilation titled Remixes and Rarities. The album debuted numerous tracks from her back catalogue that had not previously been released on CD.
In March 2018, Tyler embarked on a 22-date tour of Germany and Austria to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "It's a Heartache", with Sharron Levy as support.
In August 2019, Cherry Red Records released a box set compiling Tyler's first four studio albums. Classic Pop magazine described The RCA Years as "a thoroughly-researched 4CD-set". In November 2019, Tyler made a guest appearance at Ben Zucker's concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin to sing "It's a Heartache". Their duet features on his live album, Wer Sagt das?! Zugabe!, released in May 2020.
In December 2019, Tyler released a new version of her 2005 song "Streets of Stone" for The World's Big Sleep Out, an international homeless charity event. On 14 December 2019, she performed at the Vatican City's annual Concerto di Natale in the presence of Pope Francis.
In May 2020, Tyler released "Through Thick and Thin (I'll Stand by You)" with Lorraine Crosby as a charity single in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. It reached no. 64 on the UK Downloads Chart. Her latest studio album, The Best Is Yet to Come, followed in February 2021.
On 2 September 2022, Tyler and Mike Batt released their duet "Into the Sunset" as a digital single. The track was originally released on the soundtrack to The Dreamstone in 1990. In October 2022, Tyler performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" live with the cast of Tanz der Vampire in Stuttgart to mark the musical's 25th anniversary.
In November 2022, Tyler embarked on her first ever tour of South America, with eight dates in Brazil, and one date in Uruguay. Speaking with El País, Tyler stated that she hopes to release another studio album in 2023. Her memoir, Straight from the Heart, was published by Coronet Books on 28 September 2023.
On 19 April 2024, Tyler released her third live album, In Berlin. It was recorded at the Admiralspalast in Berlin during her Between the Earth and the Stars Live Tour on 8 May 2019. The album was preceded by its first single, "Faster Than the Speed of Night", on 22 March 2024.
In September 2024, Tyler performed at the Plein Hotel for an event hosted by Philipp Plein as part of Milan Fashion Week. On 31 December 2024, Tyler performed her new music single, titled "Yes I Can", on Silvester-Schlagerbooom 2025.
Tyler's two biggest influences from a young age were Janis Joplin and Tina Turner. She cites "River Deep – Mountain High" as being her all-time favourite song. Other artists that influenced Tyler in her youth include Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Meat Loaf, Joe Cocker, Dusty Springfield and Tommy Steele. She has also expressed admiration for contemporary artists such as Guns N' Roses,EMS Music / Locomotive Music, Rock For Asia – Das Charity-Konzert Open Air 2005 DVD (2006). Anastacia, Toni Braxton, Duffy, and Eminem. She has also expressed interest in collaborating with Adele, whom she describes as "a great song writer, singer and performer."
In a review of Rocks and Honey, OMH Media described Tyler's vocals as being "good for only one thing and that's belting out gravelly vocals," suggesting that she sounds like Johnny Cash in his later years when she "tries to restrain her." With reference to her modern voice, The Yorkshire Times wrote that Tyler's vocals have "still got what it takes to make you tingle." Jim Steinman told People magazine that he wrote "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as a "showpiece for Tyler's voice." AllMusic said that Tyler's voice "produced the perfect type of 'desperate lovelorn' effect to suit the romantic lyrics."
In 2001, Tyler co-wrote four songs with Gary Pickford-Hopkins on his GPH album, and duetted with him on the track "Loving You Means Leaving You".Gary Pickford-Hopkins "GPH" CD booklet, Angel Air Records, 2001 Tyler was also involved in writing several tracks for her 2005 album Wings, including its singles "Louise" and "Celebrate".Bonnie Tyler "Wings" CD booklet, Stick Music, 2005.
Since the 1990s, Tyler has been a patron of the Bobath Children's Therapy Centre in Cardiff, Wales, who provide care for children with cerebral palsy. In 2013, she campaigned for Bobath to be recognised at the Pride of Britain Awards. Tyler is also an ambassador for the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales. In January 2005, Tyler performed at the Rock for Asia benefit concert in Ingolstadt, Germany, raising funds for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The event was recorded and released on DVD. In 2007, Tyler recorded "I Don't Know How to Love Him" for Over the Rainbow, a charity album conceptualised by Anneka Rice on the television show Challenge Anneka. The album reached no. 1 on the UK Compilation Chart, with proceeds going to the Association of Children's Hospices.
On 1 November 2009, Tyler performed as the headline act at the Pinktober Women in Rock concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In the following year, she co-headlined at a benefit concert alongside Leo Sayer raising funds for Variety, the Children's Charity, in New Zealand. In 2012, Tyler was named patron of the AAG animal charity association in Guia, Portugal. Tyler re-recorded "Holding Out for a Hero" for the 2013 Children in Need appeal. In 2014, she endorsed the BUAV's campaign to make it mandatory for animals in testing laboratories to be re-homed. In 2020, Tyler contributed to a cover of "Don't Answer Me" by the Alan Parsons Project to raise funds for Bergamo, an Italian city that was deeply impacted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 1988, Tyler and her husband have owned a five-bedroom home in Albufeira in the Algarve.. 5:28 – "What drew you to come back to Swansea and how long have you lived in this house?" Retrieved 17 March 2013 Tyler had recorded one of her albums there in the late 1970s, and the couple spend much of the year there. I lost my heart in ... The Algarve, The Guardian, 7 July 2001. In 2005, Tyler was filmed in the Algarve for the Polish entertainment TV show Zacisze gwiazd, which explores the houses of actors and musicians. Virtual Poland, Zacisza Bonnie Tyler (Bonnie Tyler seclusion)
Tyler and Sullivan have invested in property. As of a 1999 interview, they owned farmland in Portugal and New Zealand, 22 houses in Berkshire and London, and 65 stables offering horse boarding services. Home Truths Bonnie Tyler, thefreelibrary.com, 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2013. 7:01 – "''Tell us more about your other homes that you live in." Retrieved 17 March 2013 In a 2013 interview, Tyler stated that the farm in New Zealand had been converted to a dairy farm twelve years after they purchased the land. In the same interview, she stated that she and Sullivan also own a quarry.
Tyler's 1976 breakthrough with "Lost in France" led to her nomination for Best British Female Newcomer at the Brit Awards. In the 1980s, she received nominations for two more Brit Awards, and three Grammy Awards. In 2013, she was presented with the Gold Badge award by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
In 1979, Tyler won the 10th World Popular Song Festival with "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean", representing the United Kingdom. Tyler also became the first and only representative of the United Kingdom to receive a Eurovision Song Contest Radio award in 2013. She was also one of the first western artists to tour the Soviet Union.
In addition to her music awards, Tyler has received local honours in Wales; including being named freeman of Neath Port Talbot in 2011, and an honorary degree and doctorate from Swansea University in 2013. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. In 2016, she was honoured by the Lord Mayor of Swansea for Services to Music.
Tyler was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to music.
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