LONDON - Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, best known for her powerful, haunting love song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has died aged 75, her family announced on Thursday.
"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," the family said in a statement on Facebook.
Tyler shot to fame in the 1970s with hits including "Lost in France" and "It's a Heartache". "Total Eclipse of the Heart" later topped the charts in both Britain and the United States.
The Grammy-nominated Tyler, who was born Gaynor Hopkins, was due to tour Europe later this year to mark 50 years since the release of "Lost in France", which was her breakthrough hit in 1976.
Other hits include "Holding Out For A Hero" in 1984 which featured on the soundtrack to the huge US box office success "Footloose".
In 2013, Tyler represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with the song "Believe In Me", finishing in 19th place.
She was recognised in 2022 by the late Queen Elizabeth II who before her death awarded her an honour for her five-decade-long music career.
- AFP